The Phantom Dragon of Equestria
by ponystoriesandothers
Summary: Zack Orion had a rough life with a kind mother and a abusive father. One day he died and re woke in a different world.. As a different creature.. Request from Lewamus Prime 2016. OC character isn't mine. The image isn't mine either.
1. Home

**Author's note: Hello readers! This story is not my idea. The idea is from Lewamus Prime 2016. The OC character Zack Orion is also not my OC. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the story!** _(P.S Lewamus Prime, if you're reading this, what do you think of the first chapter? Is there any changes I should make? Please let me know)_

* * *

The phantom knight of Equestria: Chapter 1- Just a human

Zack Orion pushed open the door of his house. He cringed at the usual smell of smoke. Pots and cutlery clashed together in the kitchen. Zack's mother. He walked into the kitchen, where his mother washed the utensils. She gave him a small smile. He returned it back.

"Nice day at school?" She asked, scrubbing an old pot. Zack nodded.

"It was a blast." He replied. He headed to his room and chucked his school bag on the floor. His room was neat, clean with Anime posters and Manga in piles. There were a few empty cans of root beer in his small bin. Zack flopped onto his bed and whipped out his phone. He texted his only best friend, Hope.

 _ZO: Hi._

 _HS: Hey Z_

 _ZO: How's homework :)_

 _HS: Sucks._

 _ZO: It always does. Super bored. Wanna come over?_

 _HS: Ok sure. Be over at 4_

Zack closed his phone. He went over to his mother and told her that Hope was coming. His mother nodded in agreement. Zack returned to his room and got out some of his comics. He couldn't wait to show them to Hope. Then the scent of smoke wafted into his room. Oh no. Zack felt his shoulders slump. His wild black hair was in his face.

"Stop inviting your pesky friends over to my house!" Snapped Zack's father. Zack looked up.

"You invite your friends over here all the time. Why can't I invite mine?" Zack asked, his sky blue eyes glowing.

"You never ask me! Besides, they take up all the room, like you." His father hissed. Zack stood up.

"Why can't I just invite my friend over for one afternoon?" Zack snapped back. His father lowered his eyes.

"Because you make too much noise and mess up the house!" His father angrily replied. He reached over and slapped Zack hard on the head. He left the room with a smack of the door. Zack felt his face explode with anger. His large, red fang sharp scar under his eye hurt. He scowled and mumbled to himself. At least his mother was nice. He crept out of his room to see Hope at the door, with his father yelling at her.

"GET OUT!" His father barked at Hope, who stepped away with fright.

"STOP!" Cried Zack, approaching his father.

"Stay away, you little BRAT!" His father spat. He slapped Zack down to the ground. A arm pulled him up. His mother. Hope gasped and gave a comforting look towards Zack. She then turned and ran away. Zack rubbed his sore arm. His mother and him walked into Zack's bedroom.

"Why does he always have to ruin everything?" Asked Zack angrily. His mother patted his back.

"He may not seem to care about you and support you. Your father is a bad man and I can not change that. But I will always be here" Zack's mother said, pulling her only son into a hug.

"I love you Zack." She said. A smile finally peaked to Zack's face.

"I love you too." He replied. His mother got up and left the room. Zack smiled and got out his phone.

 _ZO: Hey Hope sorry about dad_

 _HS: Don't worry about it we're still friends :)_

 _ZO: You're the best H_

 _HS: Like always_

 _ZO: C u tomorrow_

 _HS: With your homework ;)_

Zack felt good. He grabbed a can of rootbeer and opened it. It tasted so great. Almost like love, if that had a taste. He was a normal human, DNA had proven it. He just didn't look like one. Half of his teeth were fangs and in his left eye was a red scar. His skin was a tan colour and he was a slightly muscular guy. He got out his favorite comic.

For all his life Zack had been living with his abusive father and his kind mother. When he had almost died in a car crash, his mother had been there for him. When he was being bullied, his mother was there for him. His father had never done anything for him.

Suddenly Zack heard a pounding sound in his brain. It got louder and louder. He dropped his root beer and put his hands to his head and clutched it. The whole world got dizzy and fuzzy. Everything began to burn. He cried out in pain and stared at the spilled root beer.

Then everything went black.


	2. In hospital

**Hello readers! Like I said in the last chapter, this story is not my idea and all the credit should go to Lewamus Prime 2016 (If you're reading this Lewamus please PM with any thing I need to change). Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and happy reading!**

 **~Ponystories**

* * *

 _"Dear sister, it is nearly time. The dragon goddess and her son will be returning." Said a dark blue human with flowing hair. The older one nodded._

 _"Yes, Shinigami and Kami told me. They shall be retrieving them soon." Replied the larger one._

 _"I hope the son finds more peace in this world. He shall not be quite the same here as he was in his world." The younger one said, staring into the older one's eyes._

 _"He will be fine, young sister. Besides, we should be grateful for the return of the dragon goddess and her dear son." The older one said, staring forward in the castle hallway._

* * *

Zack opened his eyes to the sound of beeping. Around him was his mother and Hope. He immediately recognised a hospital gown covering his body.

"Mother? Hope?" He asked. The two ladies nodded as his mother pushed away a tear.

"Nice to see you again so soon, Hope." Zack said, looking at his friend. Then he saw his mother. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, honey." His mother replied. Suddenly a doctor entered the room and sighed sadly.

"I am unsure if we will be able to remove the tumor." Said the doctor to Zack's mother.

"The what?" Zack gasped. The doctor turned to him.

"Your mother found you unconscious in your room and called us immediately. We took you in and scanned you. We sadly found.. A brain tumor." The doctor breathed. Zack was completely shocked.

"Will you be able to remove it?" Hope asked. The doctor shrugged.

"We have figured out how it was caused, but we are unsure if we will be able to remove the tumor itself." Said the doctor. Zack looked up.

"Then how was it caused?" He asked. The doctor scratched his chin.

"There was a lot of smoke in your body that must of caused it." The doctor replied. Zack hung his head in sadness. Hope looked up suddenly.

"If you don't mind.. Maybe I'd just like to have a moment with Zack." Said the girl. The doctor sighed.

"Very well. I needed to speak to the mother anyway." The doctor said, as Zack's mother followed him out.

"I wish this wasn't happening." Hope sighed, as she sat on Zack's hospital bed.

"Me either. How are my parents coping?" Asked Zack. Hope shook her head.

"Your mum is.. Acting kind of strange and I don't know what your dad is doing.." She said. Then she held out one of his comics.

"You'll need something to read." She said. Zack took the comic from her hands.

"Thanks. You know me too well, Hope." Zack said. Hope smiled. She put her hands in her lap.

"Well, I am your best friend." She laughed. Zack opened his comic.

"Do you think I'll survive?" He asked. Hope's smile faded.

"It hurts too much to say no, but I can't say yes either without knowing that it may not be true." Said Hope. Zack nodded.

"I'm glad to hear you're being honest." Zack replied. "And keep up with homework."

"I will." Said Hope. She got up, when Zack tugged her arm.

"In case I don't make it, I just wanted to do this." Said Zack. He pulled the girl closed and kissed her. She gasped in shock.

"Sorry." He apologized, as Hope jumped away.

"Uh..it's fine.." She said awkwardly as she put her hand on the door handle. "Bye, Zack. See you maybe later." Zack waved as she left. Suddenly his mother entered the room.

"Hello mother." Said Zack, as his mother took Hope's spot on his bed. She was from Japan and her family was Japanese. Zack's father was American, which made Zack half Japanese and half American.

"Hello, my child." She said. Zack stared into her eyes.

"Do you think I'll survive?" He asked. His mother didn't move at all. She looked at him sternly.

"I can't tell you that. Besides, it won't be so bad if you die." She said calmly. Zack gave her a horrified look. He shrugged it off. _She's just gone a bit crazy from being upset,_ he thought.

"But if you do, just remember that I'll never leave you." His mother whispered, before hugging him which lifted him a little of the bed.

"Thanks." He said, thinking his mother was acting strangely. "What's happening with dad?"

"Oh, he'll be fine." His mother said darkly. She let him drop onto the bed. She rose to her feet and went to the exit.

"Something very special is going to happen, Zack. Something very special. I love you." She said, as the door closed behind her. Zack shook his head in confusion and sighed.

It was later that night when Zack died. In his world, that was. All day doctors had been cooing over him like a pack of snakes. They had given him injections, pills and disgusting food. He had accepted it all, but he wondered if any of it would actually help him. It was roughly midnight as Zack closed his eyes. As soon as he passed, a bright white light filled his vision.

"What?" Zack heard his voice murmur. He looked around at the strange place. It was dark blue with little stars. Two creatures stood before him. "Who are you?"

"I am Shinigami and this is Kami." Said one of them. He was taller and was wearing a strange, shimmering cloak that was dark green. Kami was shorter with a purple cloak. Both their eyes glowed yellow.

"What happened?" Zack asked in awe.

"You have been taken away from your human world. Do not fret however, as you will be reborn into a new world." Said Kami. "We were sent here to take you to this new world."

"What is this new world?" Zack asked, staring at the two beings.

"Quite different from your previous world. You will not be the same thing you were in your last world. It will take some adjusting, but I assure you it will be fine." Said Shinigami. Zack nodded.

"Okay, so is anyone I know in this world?" Asked Zack. The creatures looked thoughtful.

"I can not be sure, young one." Replied Kami. Zack sighed.

"So, what exactly will I be in this world?" He asked. Shinigami stepped forward.

"I can not tell you exactly, but I can give you a hint: You can fly yet you have no wings. You can beat down mountains and conquer kings. At once three difference things am you, as a continuous, you can not die." He said, his bright yellow eyes glowing. Zack thought over the words the creature had spoken. What did they mean?

"What is this world called?" Zack asked.

"Equestria." Said Kami, as his and Shinigami's eyes glowed brightly. Suddenly golden power came through their eyes and whipped around Zack. He felt a strange pulling sensation and could only see pure white. He squeaked as the whole world seemed to explode. Then the white faded away. A bunch of people were looking at him.

"Huh?" Zack breathed.


	3. Suited For Success

_Chapter 3- Suited For Success._

* * *

"Do you think he's okay?"

"He seems to be breathing. Where did he even come from?"

"I don't know! Like I said, I just found him on the doorstep."

"Wait! I think he's waking up!" Just like the third female voice said, Zack's eyes fluttered open. 6 girls were standing around him. One girl, with purple skin, dark purple hair with pink streaks with bangs and a unicorn horn on her head held out her hand. Zack accepted it.

He noticed that he had a scaly charcoal coloured tail with green patterns. On his back were wings, same design as the tail. He was wearing a long cloak with red flames on it and his sleeves were torn. His hands were covered with black gloves with blue shells on the back. His t-shirt was red with a wide collar and he had baggy black pockets, with black pants. His boots were black with a blue and silver toe. Zack stared at the girls and leapt back in fright.

"Woah! Take it easy." Said another girl. Her skin was pale blue and her hair was rainbow. Blue feathery wings erupted from her back. Her eyes glowed a pretty magenta. The purple girl's eyes widened.

"Are you.. A dragon?" She asked. A small yellow girl, with long pink hair and sea blue eyes whimpered. She also had feathery yellow wings.

"I.. I don't know. I don't know where I am or what is happening." Zack replied, as the girls stepped back in fright.

"Ugh! And this has to happen when Hoity Toity shows up." Said a girl with completely vampire-white skin. Her eyes were dark blue and her hair was curled up at the front, reflecting its dark purple colour. On her head was a unicorn horn, like the purple girl. A girl with orange skin rolled her eyes. Her face was speckled with little white freckles, adding to her green eyes and blonde hair.

"Well.. where are you from?" Asked the purple girl. Her horn was glowing a pink colour and a few books were surrounding her, wrapped in her magic. Zack looked around at the library they were in. There were certainly lots of books. The library also happened to be a tree.

"America.. I'm from America." Zack dustily replied. A girl with dark crazy, pink hair, light pink skin and blue eyes came forward.

"Ooh! A newbie to Ponyville! Welcome, my name is Pinkie Pie! What's yours?" Asked the pink girl.

"Zack.." The dragon boy nervously replied.

"America? I've never heard of it." The purple one muttered, reading lots of her books. The small yellow girl had disappeared through the door and ran away. Zack raised an eyebrow, as he accidently shot out a small fire bolt. It burned the purple girl's books. The white one squeaked.

"All the sudden I've got to make dresses." She said, before running out the door.

"Ooh! You can shoot fire! What else can you do?" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. The orange one pulled her back. Zack sank down in discomfort. He had almost set fire to this library. The purple one was quite shocked. The blue one smiled.

"Actually, Pinkie's right. What else can you do?" She asked. The orange one glared at her.

"Sorry..uh.." Zack stuttered.

"..Just call me Twilight.." The purple girl replied. She looked at Zack with concern. "How long have you been in Equestria for?"

"Where's Equestria?" Zack asked. Twilight sighed. "Oh.. this place? Well.. I don't know. I think I just got here. I don't really remember."

"Okay. Maybe you can stay here and relax for a bit." Said Twilight. The blue girl gave him a skeptic look.

"Just don't blow anything up." She hissed. Twilight led Zack up into her bed. She gave him some water.

"You look tired and stressed. I'll come back later when you feel better." Said Twilight. She left Zack with his water and thoughts.

"Where am I?" Zack asked out loud to himself. He looked around Twilight's bedroom, which had books, telescopes and parchments. He rethought the events:

1\. Apparently he died in his 'other world.'

2\. He was in a strange place where he met the Kami and Shinigami who told him about 'Equestria.'

3\. Now he was some kind of dragon.

Zack took a small sip of his water and looked out the window. He saw the girls from before going to a boutique. He noticed that the blue girl had transformed into a Pegasus. Great, that made this world even more confusing. He noticed lots of other humans and ponies roaming around the town. But what was he?

* * *

 _"The ruler of dragons has returned." A dark dragon voice hissed._

 _"I heard that she wished to see her 'son', oh great one." An unstable voice replied._

 _"Yes. She and her son are both back, but not together. That will make it easier for me." The first voice replied. "Darkness shall rule."_

* * *

"So, you're the new thing?" A male voice asked, shocking Zack out of his wits. "Woah, nice appearance." A small purple dragon with green spikes waved towards him.

"Uh… thanks.." Zack replied, as Twilight and the others suddenly returned into the library. He could hear her voice.

"Okay girls, to make this dress for Rarity we need to work together. That's why I came to get some dress making books." Said Twilight. Zack came down into the library, making the small yellow girl squeal with fear.

"Oh hi Zack! We're making a dress for Rarity who is the girl with dark blue eyes and a unicorn horn. We accidently stressed her out by changing her dresses she made for us and embarrassed her in front of lots of fashionistas and is crying in her room so now we're helping her back into form!" Pinkie Pie cried, as the others looked at their pink friend.

"Um.. Okay." Zack said. Twilight sighed as the girls left the library.

"We'll come back for you once we finish with Rarity." Said Twilight, as she followed her friends out the door. Zack nodded slightly.

* * *

"Oh girls! This is magnificent! But how did you-"

"We made it using the wonderful designs you came up with." Said Fluttershy, as the girls helped Rarity off her bed. They showed her the brand new dress. Rarity squeaked with excitement.

"Hoity Toity will love this!" Pinkie Pie screamed as Rarity hugged the new dress.

"And we're sorry for bothering you with our dress requests." Said the orange girl. Rarity nodded.

"I forgive you. Anyways.. How is this new.. Boy coming along?" Asked the unicorn lady. Twilight shrugged.

"He's fine.. Just a little quiet.. I hope he isn't a threat.."

* * *

 **Author's note: Hello readers! Here is chapter three for you all. For the creator of the idea, Lewamus Prime; what do you think of this chapter? Anywho for the rest of you I hope you are enjoying this story. The chapters are going to be the like the episodes in the show with Zack in it, along with his mother and his presence in general. Get ready! I hope I can at least I can update this once a week.**

 **~Ponystories**


	4. Feeling Pinkie Keen

**-Chapter 4- Feeling Pinkie Keen-**

Zack handed Spike his broom.

"Thanks! It's kinda nice to have another dragon around.." Spike replied, sweeping the floor. Zack smiled briefly, when suddenly he felt himself being lifted off the ground. He saw Twilight staring at him, her horn light up. She put him on the ground, as the girls surrounded him.

"Well, here he is, Princesses." Said Twilight. Two taller ladies came forward, one dark blue with long, night blue hair and the other had milky white skin and long rainbow hair.

"Greetings Zack. We were waiting for your arrival." Said the white one. Zack raised an eyebrow. "My name is Princess Celestia, and this is my younger sister Luna." The dark blue one nodded. Zack bowed.

"Your highnesses." He said. Celestia smiled.

"I believe you are wanting an explanation for why you are here, and what you are?" Asked Luna. The younger girls sat down on their butts and looked at the Princesses eagerly. Zack nodded.

"You see… Your mother.. Isn't exactly human.." Said Celestia. Zack gave her a confused look. "She is actually a dragon. More precisely, the Ruler Of Dragons." The other girls gasped, followed by Zack.

"Then… if my mother is a dragon.. Am I one too?" Asked Zack. "What about my dad?"

"Yes. Half dragon." Replied Luna. "Your father is human and will remain in your former world. Your mother however, is here." Zack jumped up suddenly.

"She is? Where?" Zack asked. Celestia quietly shushed him.

"She is far away, unfortunately. Our knowledge of dragons is limited, so we are unaware of her location, but we do know that she would be looking for you." Said the tall white one.

"Ooh! A dragon ruler! Maybe that's why I was getting my Pinkie sense!" Cried Pinkie. Twilight rolled her eyes. Pinkie's hair suddenly twitched. "Or not.."

"Then.. when will I see her? What powers do I have?" Asked Zack. "Was I sent here because of my dragon side?"

"We are unsure when you will see your mother again. Your powers you will need to discover yourself, and yes, your dragon sent you here." Said Luna, standing boldly.

"Well.. One more question.. Will I ever go back to my previous world?" Asked Zack, his head spinning from all this new information. The 6 girls in the corner whispered together.

"I...I am unsure young one.. But you will continue to discover your powers in our world." Said Celestia. "We must leave now my ponies.. And dragons. As for you Twilight, my faithful student, please continue writing to me!" The two princesses departed from the library. Zack groaned.

"Well.. I've got to look after my frog friends goodbye everypony-" The small yellow girl was interrupted by Zack's hands lighting up. Suddenly his body blue turned ice blue and transparent and blacks cracks began to appear in his skin. His eyes became black, with the iris turning red. His teeth sharpened and his jacket became torn. The flames turned green and his white tank top was torn, showing Zack's ribcage. The girls gasped and the small yellow girl screamed and ran away. She was followed by Rarity.

"Um.. jeez.." Spluttered Applejack. Dash's eyes nearly burst out of her sockets. Pinkie jumped into Twilight's arms.

"Maybe that's the dozy!" She squeaked. Twilight shook her head.

"Pinkie, there's no such thing as Pinkie Sense." She growled.

"Oh really? Then how do you explain that?!" Asked Dash, pointing at Zack. The boy blushed.

"Um.. sorry?" He apologized. Suddenly, he let out a burst of black lighting. Twilight quickly shielded the girls. Zack sighed.

"That was awesome!" Said Dash. Pinkie's hair was still twitching. Suddenly Zack could hear the girls talking, but their lips weren't moving.

 _"YIKES! This guy is terrifying, why is he even here?! We need to get him out!"_ Dash thought. Zack cringed in discomfort.

"Uh, sorry Dash.. I didn't mean to.." He replied, surprised to find that his lips weren't moving. Dash gasped and looked at him. She raised an eyebrow and she grabbed Applejack's arm and they ran out the door. Suddenly Zack felt himself change, and he was back to normal. His ghostliness was gone. Twilight clutched her head.

"I.. don't know what happened.. I didn't know I could do that.." Mumbled Zack. Twilight sighed.

"It must be part of your powers.." She said.

"Just like me and my Pinkie sense!" Cried Pinkie Pie, earning a glare from Twilight. "Speaking of Pinkie sense.." Pinkie gasped, as her hair shook. "We still haven't found the dozy!"

"What could be dozier than that.. Transformation?" Asked Twilight, pointing at Zack, making him cringe. "No offense, Zachary."

"Well, maybe we should go and find the dozy then.." Suggested Zack. Twilight sighed.

"I'm not so sure, Mr.. I mean..you.." Twilight began, when suddenly Pinkie smiled.

"Come on, Twilight! It'll be a bonding experience for us!" Exclaimed the pink human. Twilight sighed.

"Fine, we'll find the dozy. Are you 100 percent sure it's not you Zack? Maybe we should run some tests.." Twilight began, but everyone was already leaving. Twilight sighed.

* * *

"My legs are bouncy!" Pinkie cried, as they walked through the Ponyville market. Twilight grumbled.

"Look, nothing is going to happen. It's just a big hoax-" She said, before a chair fell on her. Twilight growled and looked up. A grey pegasus with a blonde mane blushed. Zack and Pinkie sniggered.

"Come on guys, this is ridiculous. I'll prove this is fake. Come on." Hissed Twilight. Pinkie suddenly jumped up.

"My ears are flapping!" She cried. Twilight smirked. She looked around her.

"See, nothing is going to-" She was interrupted by a frog falling on her face. A pair of yellow hands grabbed the frog. A girl with yellow skin and wings appeared before glanced nervously at Zack.

"Sorry Twilight." Muttered Fluttershy, before grabbing the frog and flying off again.

"Come on Twilight, just admit Pinkie's powers are real." Said Zack. Twilight ignored him. They walked into the library and into a laboratory, where Twilight hooked Pinkie up and monitored her.

"Good lord." Muttered Zack. Twilight suddenly clamped a wristband onto Zack. He rolled his eyes.

"Now I'll be able to monitor all these changes. Pinkie, when you get a twitch, let me know and I'll be able to monitor everything. As for Zack, incase you become that.. whatever it is, I'll be to monitor that too!" Cried Twilight excitedly.

 ** _-A few hours later-_**

"I just don't understand, Zack." Twilight muttered, as she looked through binoculars and observed Pinkie Pie. The two were hidden in bushes. Twilight had not found anything about Pinkie or Zack and had only got injuries. "This doesn't make any sense!"

"It doesn't have to make sense to be real." Replied Zack, when suddenly Pinkie's hair twitched. She ran over to Twilight and Zack in the bush.

"There's a dozy at Froggy Bottom Bogg!" She cried. Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, like there's going to be anything there." She scoffed.

"But that's where Fluttershy went!" Pinkie Replied.

"Fine, we'll go. But I bet there will be nothing there." Twilight said. She turned to Zack and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I can't wait to see Pinkie's face when there is no dozy."

* * *

The trio made their way over to the bogg. On the way, Twilight told him all about Equestria and Ponyville.

"So that's where Sugar Cube Corner is." Said Twilight. "I haven't been living in Ponyville very long, but I like it. Canterlot is more sophisticated, however. I liked it like that, but Ponyville is much more inviting. I think you'd like it.. If you stay there.." Said Twilight, as they arrived at the bogg.

"FLUTTERSHY!" Pinkie Pie screamed. The trio spread out to look for her.

"I don't think she'll be very happy to see me. Everytime she does, she runs away screaming." Said Zack. Twilight hopped down from a tree.

"She's just very quiet and sensitive. It'll take her a little while to get used to you." Said Twilight. She looked at Pinkie, whose hair was twitching like mad. Next to her was Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy! You're safe! Just like I said, there is nothing wrong." Declared Twilight. Fluttershy slunk behind Pinkie. "I told you so. There is no such thing as Pinkie Sense and there never was-"

"Um.." Said Zack, tapping Twilight's shoulder. She turned around and shrieked, to see a four headed hydra.

"That definitely didn't exist in my world.." Muttered Zack. His eyes filled with fear.

"RUN!" Screamed Pinkie, as everyone turned and ran away. Zack tried flapping his wings, which didn't really work out. He wasn't an experienced flyer. Fluttershy and Pinkie ran side by side, avoiding the Hydra's heads. One came right for Zack, which Twilight shoved him out of the way. She helped him up and grabbed his arm.

"Come on!" She cried, as they ran up a hill. They made it to a chasm with large rock stands. Pinkie and Fluttershy jumped across. Zack gasped.

"Come on, Zack!" Cried Pinkie from the other side. "It's just a hop, skip and a jump!" Twilight twitched nervously from behind the dragon boy. Suddenly the hydra head broke most of the rock platforms, leaving Zack and Twilight trapped. Twilight grabbed Zack's arm and they jumped onto the hydra's neck.

"3. 2. 1!" Cried Twilight, as she and Zack jumped off. "Zack! Can you fly?" Asked Twilight, as they plummeted closer to the murky water. Zack shook his head. Suddenly they landed on a bubble, which exploded and sent them both zooming up, back to where Fluttershy and Pinkie were. They landed safely.

"Well Pinkie, I have to admit, that was quite a dozy!" Said Twilight, as she and Zack got to their feet.

"That wasn't the dozy.." Pinkie said, as her hair twitched. Twilight's face turned red and her hair exploded into flames.

"THAT WASN'T THE DOZY?!" She bellowed, her eyes a blood red. Fluttershy squeaked in horror.

"Cool.." Mummered Zack, as Twilight floated back down.

"I suppose there are some things I can't explain. The Pinkie sense is one of them. Sorry Pinkie." Said Twilight. Pinkie nodded and Fluttershy stopped shaking (mostly). Zack smiled.

"Looks like I'm not the only one with fire powers." He said. Twilight rolled her eyes and Fluttershy whimpered.

* * *

"Dear Princess Celestia, today I learnt that I don't need to explain everything to believe it. I just need to trust my friends, old and new." Said Twilight, as Spike scribbled down on a piece of parchment. Zack wondered around the Golden Oak Library. Pinkie jumped around and accidentally fell over, making Zack laugh. She laughed with him and popped and umbrella hat on his head. _She's funny._

"Hey Zack, do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?" Asked Twilight, wearing her own umbrella hat.

"Nope."

"Well, lucky for you I just happened to find.." Said Twilight, as a guest bed wrapped in her magic floated through the room. Zack smiled eagerly at it. "Until you find your own place.. Hopefully.."

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey readers! Like I said before, the whole summary and idea for this chapter (and story) was from Lewamus Prime 2016, so go and check him out. Like I said, I'm just writing the story. I own nothing else. Don't sue me for copyright. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you later! (I tried to put a little more exposition and make it longer)**

 **~Ponystories**


	5. Sonic Rainboom

**~Chapter 5- Sonic Rainboom~**

The sun rose over the colourful land, beating in Zack's face.

"Good morning Zack!" Said Spike, entering Zack's room. "Want breakfast?"

"Yeah, breakfast sounds good!" Zack replied, getting up. He followed Spike down the stairs and out his room. He saw that Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity were cleaning up the library.

"Be right back." Said Zack, jogging over to the girls. Twilight turned to him and smiled. "Good morning Zachary! We've got a lot of cleaning up to do." Pinkie waved to him and the other two eyed him cautiously. Twilight nudged Rarity's shoulder. "Be nice." She hissed.

"Want some help?" Zack offered. Rarity's eyes widened a little at this. Twilight smiled politely. "No, no go and enjoy yourself and explore Ponyville. We'll be able to handle it." She said, as her horn light up and put some more books away. Pinkie jumped in front of him. "Besides, Spike looks like he has something for you! A surprise!" The pink human cried. Zack turned to Spike and followed him to the kitchen.

* * *

Equestria sure is pretty, Zack thought as he wandered through the town. He passed all kinds of buildings that Twilight had mentioned. Then he saw something rainbow in the sky. Zack quickened his pace to a run and followed it. He found Fluttershy watching Rainbow Dash zooming through the sky like a bullet.

"Go dash, go!" Fluttershy called, no louder than a rabbit. Zack walked next to her but she didn't see him. "I don't think she can hear you." Zack kindly said to the latter. Fluttershy squeaked and jumped about 5 feet. She flapped her wings and stayed afloat. Zack sighed and turned his attention back to the rainbow girl.

"YEAH, DASH GO!" Zack called, much louder than Fluttershy. A speed barrier appeared in front of the blue girl and she flew faster. "Come on!" She muttered. However, she lost control of her speed and went zooming off. Fluttershy flew after her. Zack could not fly; he was still unsure how to. So he ran after the two girls as quickly as he could.

"Finally, we're done!" Twilight announced as she looked proudly around the library. The other girls cheered in triumphant. Suddenly something crashed into the library, resetting the mess. Books were all over the floor.

"Oops. Sorry girls.. " Said Dash. Suddenly a high pitched voice came from the window that Dash flew through. "Go dash! Wait.. did my cheer do that?" Fluttershy gasped. Suddenly the entrance to the library bursted open and Zack came through. His mouth gaped open when he saw the huge mess.

"What is going on?" Asked Twilight, turning to Dash. The blue girl blushed innocently. "Well, I'm practicing for The Young Fliers Competition at Cloudsdale. I'm going to perform the sonic rainboom!" The girls raised and eyebrow. Pinkie suddenly jumped up.

"I know what that is! It's when a pegasus pony flies so fast that they create a explosion! I've never seen one before but it sounds amazing! After all, it's a sonic rainboom!" The pink girl cried. Zack looked up in awe, same with the others. Dash blushed. "I just need some practice.. When I.. If I win, then I get a whole day with the Wonderbolts!" She said. "Well, me and Fluttershy are going to head up to Cloudsdale now. It's a shame the rest of you can't go. As nice as the support from Fluttershy is, she isn't exactly loud."

"You do realise Zack can fly too? He could go with you. If you wanted to of course." Twilight said, standing next to Zack. She put her hand on his shoulder. Fluttershy looked almost petrified at that idea. Zack sighed. "I have no idea how to fly anyway.." Dash looked shocked.

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO FLY?!" She gasped. Zack blushed. Twilight glared at her. Dash sighed. "Come on, let's go." She said to Fluttershy. She flew out quickly. Fluttershy, halfway out the window quickly glanced back. "The problem is, she tried to do the sonic rainboom so many times but they all failed. I have a very bad feeling.." She said, briefly glancing at Zack, then flying out the window after the former.

"Well, we better start again.." Said Applejack, glancing at the mess of books. Rarity stood up on a pile of books. "No! We can't stay here! Dash needs us to cheer her on! Twilight, tell me you have a spell that can let us earth ponies.. And possibly Zack walk on clouds." Twilight scratched her head in confusion. "I know I do, I just need to find it.."

"Found it!" Pinkie's high pitched voice called. "Pg 14." She said, as a book flew over near Twilight's feet. Applejack turned to Pinkie. "How'd you know where it was?" Pinkie smiled brightly. "It landed on my face when Dash crashed in here."

"Uh huh! In here it describes a spell that can give an earth pony wings for three days." Said Twilight, observing the book. "But it looks like a tricky spell. I'll need a volunteer." Rarity jumped down onto the floor, followed by a pirouette. "Me! I'll do it!" She exclaimed. Twilight sighed. "Very well." She replied, as her horn light up. Zack covered his eyes from the blinding light. Rarity was wrapped in a shiny blue cocoon of magic. When she reappeared, he appearance was quite different. Everyone gasped.

* * *

"So you really can't fly?" Applejack asked to Zack. He shrugged. She smiled. "Don't worry, Dash will teach you in a heartbeat." Zack looked around at the blue sky and the cloud city they were approaching. "So what was your previous world like?" The orange girl asked. Zack cupped his chin with his hand. "Really different from this one. People.. Or ponies can't fly, magic didn't exist and there is a lot of things we don't have here." Zack replied. "Equestria makes my former world look kind of boring." Applejack surprisingly smiled at this, when the hot air balloon suddenly landed.

"Yoo hoo!" Rarity cried, landing near a shiny mirror. Near her, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were chatting to some mean boys. Dash growled at them and they trotted away. Fluttershy tapped her shoulder and pointed to Rarity. The girl had butterfly wings that reflected all the different colours of the rainbow. There were different colour patches on the wings that created pools of shimmer. Dash gaped. Fluttershy tapped the blue girl's shoulder and pointed to the hot air balloon.

Dash smiled, but her face turned to panic when Pinkie tried to take a step onto the cloud. However, unlike Dash expected, she did not fall through.

"How come you're walking on clouds? Only pegasus ponies can walk on clouds." Said Rainbow Dash, raising an eyebrow. Twilight nodded at Rarity. "We used a spell on Rarity to give her wings for three days. As the spell was too hard for the rest of us, I found a easier spell to let the rest of us walk on clouds." Twilight said. Dash's eyes filled up with joy. "I'm thrilled you're all here! We've got some time before the competition starts, so I'll show you around Cloudsdale." Dash said. She glanced quickly at a group of pegasi who had gathered near Rarity's wings. She sighed sadly.

* * *

"Okay, first stop: The weather factory!" Dash cried, as they neared a factory made out of cloud. There were falls of rainbow liquid pouring out the side and bolts of electricity here and there. Zack shivered slightly at the sight of a large, dark cloud. Dash stood next to him. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little thunder!" She jeered. Zack rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a little competition." He replied. Dash glared at him and Zack sniggered a little. Dash sighed.

"Come on, the entrance is here!" Dash called. The group put on a bunch of weather suits and entered the factory. The first stop of the magic journey was were pegasi make snowflakes. "Now we have to be very quiet and still. No sudden movements." Dash hissed, as the group walked through the section. However, Rarity's wing flapping created a breeze, causing snowflakes to fly everywhere. Dash sweat beaded. "We better keep moving."

The next stop was the rainbow making place. "Here's where they make rainbows." Dash said. Pinkie went over and tasted one. Her face turned rainbow and her eyes bulged. "SPICY!" She screamed. Dash blushed. "Yeah, rainbows aren't exactly known for their flavour.." Zack dipped his finger in the weird liquid. It made his finger stand out from the rest of his body. Meanwhile, crowds gathered around Rarity and gazed at her wings.

"Yes Cloudsdale! Look at my wings!" She cried. Light shone through them, grabbing more attention.

"Your wings are beautiful!" A voice cried. "I have never seen anything so… magnificent!" Another cried. "Dude, you should totally enter the Young Flier's competition!" A third called. Rarity blushed. "Should I? That does sound like a wonderful idea!" Zack turned to Rainbow Dash and could hear her thoughts. "Oh great, Rarity is entering the competition. I have no chance of winning." Zack went over to pat her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll do great." He said as nicely as he could, but the blue girl turned her back to him and flew away, her blue wings flapping. Zack sighed.

* * *

The girls and Zack sat down on a comfortable piece of cloud, overlooking the whole stadium.

"This is going to be interesting." Twilight whispered, sitting herself next to Zack. On his other side, Applejack was sitting there. She sighed. "I just hope Rarity doesn't go too far.." She said to Zack. The boy glanced back at her. "Me too." They were interrupted a voice over a megaspeaker.

"Fillies and gentlecolts! Welcome to the Young Fliers Competition! Today we have our guest judges, The Wonderbolts!" Called the megaspeaker pony. A group of people, dressed in blue suits flew in the sky. Their hair was similar; It was very spiky and cool. Three of the overall 6 sat on a bottom row cloud. "Who are they?" Zack whispered to Applejack. "The Wonderbolts. Dash is a huge fan of them." Applejack whispered back.

"And of course, our beautiful ruler, Princess Celestia!" The pony called. Zack immediately recognised the large lady and her long rainbow hair. He saw Twilight try to wave to the princess. "Woah Twi, you don't want to look like a super fan." Applejack joked. Twilight rolled her eyes.

* * *

A bunch of pegasi performed. They all had different acts and all of them were impressive. Zack was definitely impressed.

"Who is your favorite so far? I liked number 6." Said Applejack. "Number 4 was good. She just looked like such a nice pony." Fluttershy said, glancing at her friends. "But we haven't seen Rainbow Dash or Rarity yet. When they go, they'll be my favorites." Said Zack. As if by magic, number 15 (and number 4) was go. A blast of classical music played and Rarity, dressed in a crazy makeover flew up into the sky. Meanwhile Rainbow Dash was flying through clouds and performing moves. Rarity danced to the classical music, swirling her mane. Dash however bumped into a pole.

"GO DASH!" Zack called to her. The other girls clapped and cheered for Rarity. Rainbow Dash got up again and zoomed around three clouds in the sky, however one of them zoomed over and almost hit Celestia. A lot of ponies gasped. Zack watched Dash breath in and fly up. She flew alongside Rarity, who flew up to the sun.

"GAZE UPON ME CLOUDSDALE!" Rarity cried, her wings combining with the sun's light. It created patches of rainbow colour all over the stadium. Dash meanwhile was above Rarity and she zoomed in the sky, preparing for the sonic rainboom. "Rarity becareful! Those wings are very fragile and will melt in sunlight!" Twilight cried. Rarity ignored her and stayed in the sunlight. However, her wings suddenly melted and she came plummeting down. She screamed like a foghorn.

"Rarity!" Zack squeaked. The wonderbolts zoomed after her, however Rarity's kicking and swinging knocked them out. Zack, without thinking jumped off the cloud after them. Twilight screamed. Dash, like a bullet zoomed after all of them. She was going astonishingly fast, creating a speed barrier.

Meanwhile Zack opened his wings and began flapping them, making him move faster downwards. He tumbled and moved all the over the place, but he kept his eye on Rarity. He zoomed past the wonderbolts and grabbed the screaming girl. He held her in his arms like a baby. Suddenly a quick rainbow thing zoomed past him, grabbed the wonderbolts and created a rainbow explosion. Zack and Rainbow Dash flew up quickly back into the stadium. Rarity blushed and looked into Zack's eyes which were sea blue. She felt her heart beat as Zack put her down.

"Is everypony okay?" Asked Twilight, as she and the others came over. Zack nodded. Then Applejack turned to Zack. "You know for a pony who 'can't fly' you did a good job." Zack smiled and realized that he had flew very well. He stared proudly at his wings. Soon, the group was approached by Princess Celestia.

"Well done my subjects. Twilight, my faithful student. Did you learn anything today?" Asked Celestia, staring at Twilight. She nodded. "I did princess, but I believe Rarity is the one that learnt more today." Twilight stared her friend. Rarity sighed. "I certainly did. I learnt that I need to keep my hooves on the ground and be there for my friends." Celestia nodded. "Well done, excellent. As for you Rainbow Dash," Celestia said, turning to the blue girl. A prize helmet went on Rainbow's head. She blushed.

"OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH." Dash squeaked. Celestia nodded and walked off. Before Dash could fly off with the wonderbolts, Zack snagged her shoulder. "Before you go, I need to say this." He said. "To all of you." He looked at the girls. Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I think I figured out what I am." The girls stared curiously at him. I'm.. I'm.. I'm a ghost dragon." He said. Fluttershy fainted.

* * *

"That's impossible!" Twilight cried, scanning his body. "I can't feel a heartbeat!" She exclaimed. Zack groaned at all the wires attached to him. Since the news of his type revealed, Twilight suddenly wanted to do all this research. She had hooked him up at her lab and was monitoring him. "I.. No.." She said. "No. Heartbeat." She mummered, sweat forming on her head. Zack sighed. "How is he alive?"

"It doesn't matter if I have a heartbeat or not Twilight. Some things can't be explained, like the Pinkie Sense. This is one of those things. Besides, I'm your friend." Twilight blinked and turned at him. "We're friends? I thought-"

"Of course! You're letting me bunker with you and you're telling me everything I need to know. I can honestly say you're the first one to accept me and look past my differences." Said Zack. Twilight smiled and wiped away a tear of joy. "Thanks Zack." She said. Her magic removed the lab equipment off him. "Let's get the others to see the real you too."

* * *

 **Author's note: Hey guys! Here ends another chapter. The next few episodes will include a little romance so keep that in mind. I hope you're enjoying this story so far, as it the whole idea and info really belongs to Lewamus Prime 2016 (like I've said in the last few chapters). Anyways, I've got nothing else to say apart from see you later sukas!**

 **~Ponystories**


	6. Stare Master

**Chapter 6- Stare Master.**

Zack made his way over to Rarity's boutique. She had specifically invited him over. The girl wanted to find him a 'superior' outfit. As the dragon boy walked through the town, ponies looked at him with fear and some whispered into other's ears. Zack sighed and opened the boutique door. A little bell chimed through the room. The room was full of mannequins with dresses and outfits implanted on them. Zack admired the windows, small doors and pillow soft carpet.

"Zack! Darling! How pleasant to see you. Up here!" Rarity cried. Zack could see her arm waving from the top of a long, pink staircase. He trotted up the stairs and into a room, similar to the one below it except with more windows and light. In a desk in the corner, there was a sowing machine and a shelf with threads, needles and silk.

"I've been working on this for you that I'll think you'll really-" She was interrupted by a high pitched scream. Rarity groaned. Three young, boisterous little girls ran through the room. One of them was small and white like Rarity, with a unicorn horn and curly purple and pink hair. Another one was orange with short, purple hair and wings. The third was a yellow one with red hair.

"Ignore them. I've got a huge amount of work today Zack. I have a order for twenty robes! I was lucky I was able to finish this for you." Said Rarity, handing Zack a present. It was wrapped in shiny pink foil. Zack smiled and put a thumb up. Rarity sighed. "Okay, now I just need to make my robes with my gold silk-" Rarity pulled a piece of shiny, golden material that had big, square patches cut right out of it. Zack glanced at the fillies.

"And I made them with special gold silk!" Exclaimed the small unicorn, holding a cape, it's underside lined with Rarity's gold silk. The older unicorn screeched.

"My gold silk! Oh no.. That took forever to make! I'll have to make more!" Rarity cried. The young children danced around. "Which means I won't be able to look after you three…" The kids stopped dancing at once and their faces turned to sadness.

"But.. That means we won't be able to have our sleepover!" Rarity's sister cried. The filles sighed in sadness and dropped their heads.

"I.. I can look after them.." A quiet voice said. Rarity and Zack nearly jumped out of their skin. Fluttershy put down a white furry cat and turned her attention to the three kids. The young girls turned up to Fluttershy.

"Are you sure you want to babysit my sister and her hyperactive friends?" Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow. Fluttershy nodded. "I look after animals. How hard can it be?" The yellow pegasus replied. The young kids jumped up in excitement and resumed their celebrating. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS SLEEPOVER AT FLUTTERSHY'S! YAYYY!" They cried. The young girls grabbed Fluttershy and dragged her out. Rarity and Zack glanced at each other for a moment, then Zack raised a hand in goodbye and followed the yellow girl out.

* * *

"Hey! Wait up!" Zack cried to Fluttershy, who had bumped into Twilight.

"Hello Zack and Fluttershy." Said Twilight, smiling warmly. "I'm off to Zecora's for some tea. What are you doing?"

"Babysitting." Fluttershy replied, a bit creeped out by the sudden appearance of Zack. Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I'll be able to handle it." She said, before running off with the kids. Twilight glanced at Zack. He shrugged.

"You better go with her. I think she'll need help." Said Twilight. Zack turned to the direction where Fluttershy went. "That's what I was planning." He replied, before jogging off.

* * *

Fluttershy finally stopped at a nature filled cottage. There were plants and flowers falling from the windows and animals everywhere. Zack caught up to Fluttershy, who had just let the Cutie Mark Crusaders inside.

"Hey. Want some help?" He asked, gently as he could. He stared into her crystal blue eyes. She backed away.

"Um.. No thank you.. I'll be fine.." She replied, turning back to the door. Zack grabbed her shoulder.

"Please let me help. It's what friends do!" Zack insited. Fluttershy sighed. "Okay, you can help me." She led him inside her house, which had a nice wooden floor and neat furniture. Zack looked around and saw mouse holes in the bottom wall and bird houses hanging up.

"Well, what should we do? We could play a game-" Fluttershy began, to the small young girls.

"Let's go into the Everfree Forest!" The orange one cried. Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror.

"No no no no no no no!" Fluttershy squeaked. The orange one sighed, but then smiled and put a carpet over her head and made a roaring noise.

"Watch out! I'm a creature from the Everfree Forest! Roar!" Cried the orange one. The others pretended to be 'creature catchers.' However, this backfired when the three broke a table.

"Okay, woah. Maybe we should play something else." Said Zack, as the CMC made a failed attempt to fix the table. He told them to sit down. Fluttershy nervously watched.

"Okay. We'll play a game from my world: Charades. You practically have to guess who I am, except I'm not aloud to talk." He said. Zack plopped on the ground and pretended to read a book. He made some thoughtful expressions, then wandered around and wrote on a piece of paper.

"Uh.. Twilight Sparkle!" The small yellow one called out. Zack nodded, then zoomed around the room, flapping his wings very briefly.

"RAINBOW DASH!" The orange one screamed at the top of her voice. Fluttershy winced and covered her ears. Zack nodded, then swirled around the room and made some very girly expressions.

"RARITY!" The young unicorn cried. Zack clapped. He glanced over at the three, then at Fluttershy who had a small smile on her face. "Who wants a go next?"

* * *

After a full day of games and fun, the fillies were sent to bed.

"I'm staying up all night!" Applebloom whispered excitedly. Her friends giggled. Zack rolled his eyes. He had recently learned the young girls' names.

"Of course you are." Zack replied. Fluttershy stepped forward to the little filles.

"Okay. I think it's time for a bedtime song." Fluttershy sat on the edge of the bed and opened her mouth to sing. "Hush now, quiet now. Time to go to bed." Fluttershy sang, as the filles yawned and snuggled in the doona.

"Okay! My turn!" Cried Sweetie Belle, jumping up and shocking everyone. She took a deep breath in. "HUSH NOW, QUIET NOW! TIME TO GO TO BEEEEEEEEED!" Fluttershy squealed and jumped on the floor and started squirming. Zack covered his ears and used his telekinesis to make Sweetie Belle stop.

"Can you warn me the next time you're going to do that?" Zack asked, before letting go of the filly's lips. She nodded. Zack used his powers once again to put the blanket on the fillies, then he and the shaking Fluttershy left the room.

* * *

Zack sat down on Fluttershy's couch. He watched her feed a squirrel some birdseed. Then, in his ear he could hear a little squeaky voice.

"That squirrel actually wants cashew nuts." Zack said. Fluttershy turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know that?" She asked, before going over to a cupboard and grabbing the banana shaped nuts.

"He told me so." Zack replied, glancing at the squirrel. Fluttershy dropped the cashew nuts on the ground and her body froze. The squirrel and a few other creatures rushed onto the ground to get them. Fluttershy turned around quickly, her eyes full of stars.

"You can talk to animals?!" She squeaked, shocking Zack with the volume of her voice. He shrugged. "I guess since now." Fluttershy fluttered around the room and picked up a small white bunny.

"What is he saying?" She asked, holding the bunny near Zack. He closed his eyes and heard the rabbit's thoughts. "It says it wants an ice cream sundae with garden salad with a bright red cherry." Zack said. Fluttershy smiled. "That's so cool!" Zack nodded.

"I mean.. I've always been able to talk to animals myself.. But not like you.. I've always had a connection with them.." Fluttershy said, biting her fingernails. Then she turned to Zack, who had grown bunny ears. She screamed.

"Ah! You're.. You're changing!" She cried, flying into the air. Zack noticed thick tufts of black fur all over his body, and the world seemed to be shrinking. Fluttershy gasped.

"You can turn into animals too?!" She screamed, almost as loud as Sweetie Belle's singing. Zack realised that his hands were no longer hands but paws, and he had whiskers on his face. He groaned and felt himself growing. He changed back into his normal self. Fluttershy was just sitting there in the air, gapping over what just happened. She was completely flabbergasted. She shook it off and drooped her head.

"It's nice to see someone who gets animals.." She said, before landing next to Zack again. "Back when I was a filly, I attended Flight Camp. But every time I tried to fly, I kept failing. Until one day, I feel from the clouds and onto the ground, where I soon got my cutie mark.."

Zack told Fluttershy his story, about his abusive father and his last day with Hope. She cried and gasped when she heard about how his father slapped him.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you.." She said, before sighing and bowing her head. They shared a close hug. Fluttershy felt his warmth, which surprised her. Suddenly Zack's nose pricked up.

"Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo! They're in trouble!" Zack cried, jumping into the air. He had a better smell than a bloodhound, so he could easily track them down. "The Everfree Forest!" He cried. Zack grabbed Fluttershy's arm and dragged her out of the house.

 **-CMC P.O.V-**

"Hey! I know how to call a chicken. SCOOTALOO!" Called Applebloom, as the three walked deeper into the forest. The floor was grey and hard and the trees were dirty and spooky.

"There they are!" Called a familiar voice. Behind them, Zack and Fluttershy appeared.

"I'm so glad we found you three! Now let's go home before the Cockatrice comes." Said Fluttershy. The young fillies burst into laughter, before a snake bodied chicken headed creature slithered past them. In a nearby bush, two chicken heads popped up. One of them had the face of a normal chicken, while the other had 4 red demon eyes. The young girls ran up towards them.

"No!" Cried Fluttershy. The creature came out, along with a stone Elizabeak the chicken. The fillies scream in horror. Zack shielded them like they were his own children. Fluttershy went forward to the cockatrice and did something very mysterious. Her eyes became all creepy and wide and the snake hissed and looked away. She angrily scolded the snake while she began turning into a statue. Zack was staring at Fluttershy's eyes and was suddenly feeling overcome with instincts. He dropped down on the ground and acted like a tame dragon.

"Zack?" Asked Applebloom. Back to the action, Fluttershy out stares the cockatrice and everything stoned becomes normal. Twilight walked by them and rubbed her eyes. Zack shook off his dragon side and stood up on two legs. Elizabeak clucked and jumped around, acting like she was thanking the yellow pegasus.

"You're the stare master!" The fillies cried to Fluttershy, jumping over to her. She picked up the small chicken and blushed. Zack stood next to Twilight. The two shrugged at each other.

* * *

The next morning, Zack and Twilight returned to Fluttershy's house for tea.

"Dear Princess Celestia, today I learnt that one shouldn't do a task that can't be handled." Said Fluttershy, as Twilight scribbled down on some parchment. The CMC ran around the yard and giggled. Suddenly Rarity appeared.

"Girls! Time to come home!" Rarity cried. The girls ignored her. "GIRLS!"

"Allow me. Girls, go get your bags." Said Fluttershy. The CMC immediately obeyed and ran inside to get their things. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"How did you get them to listen to you?" Fluttershy shrugged. Rarity sighed and plopped a clingy Opal near Fluttershy's look on her face explained it all. Zack sighed and opened his package he had got from Rarity yesterday. It was a sport hat that was night black, decorated with blood red horns and sprinkled with tiny blue crystals. Zack popped it on his head and glanced over at the CMC as they followed Rarity out the cottage and off to the boutique.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey y'all! I hope you're enjoying this story. As usual, I just write the chapters. The ideas aren't mine. I can't update this story more than once a week due to homework and other fan fictions. If I can, then I will. Well, I'm out of here. Got a cold…**

 **~Ponystories.**


	7. The Show Stoppers

**Chapter 7- The show stoppers**

Zack closed his eyes and listened to the embracing sounds of the Everfree Forest. He sat on the floor, his legs crossed. He ignored the creepy feel of the environment.

"Okay.." He muttered. Zack opened his eyes and glanced at a small bean bag. He let the energy build up and shot it with his bolt. The bean bag exploded, creating a huge mess of beans and cloth. Zack nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good." Said a familiar voice. Zack turned up and saw the Shinigami. The strange creature approached him, his cloak swaying. Zack stood up and smiled.

"Shinigami!" He said happily, almost running over to give him a hug.

"You seem to be taming your powers. Excellent. But there are more of them." Said the Shinigami. Zack raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You see.. You have many powers that you are unaware of." The Shinigami paused. "Healing, telepathy are some you will learn. One you must definitely control is your ghostly howl. That one however, requires a lot of practice. You have teleportation, which I believe your Twilight friend can help you with. You can trap people in bubbles of slime, which requires focus." Said the shinigami, staring into Zack's eyes.

"Woah.." Muttered Zack, completely dumfounded. "Is there more?" He asked. The Shinigami nodded. "How much more?" Zack asked, trying not to sound desperate. He grinded his teeth together and glanced nervously at the taller figure.

"Quite a lot." The Shinigami replied, his voice stern.

"How will I learn to use them all? I'm still adjusting to the powers that I already have.." Zack said slowly, bowing his head.

"You already know how. You just can't see it yet." Said the shinigami. Zack shook his head in confusion. The Shinigami suddenly disappeared.

"Wait! Shinigami!" Zack cried. Too late. Zack sighed. _I'm going to need help.._

* * *

Zack wondered down the main town of Ponyville. He was heading over to Twilight's house when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He span around and saw Pinkie Pie.

She was wearing a light blue cardigan over a white t-shirt with a pink heart imprint. She had a ocean blue skirt with a balloon imprint. Her blue boots were calf-length and had white laces.

"Hey Pinkie." He said. "What's happening?"

"Wanna hang out? Everypony else is busy.." Said Pinkie Pie, a small hint of sadness in her voice.

"Sure! Why will be too observed in her books anyway." Joked Zack. Pinkie laughed and grabbed his arm and dragged him through the town.

They stopped at a large bakery, which looked like a cake had been spilled on it. It was yellow and looked like a village house with a icing roof.

"Sugar Cube Corner." Said Pinkie, observing Zack's mesmerized gaze. "The best bakery in Ponyville!" The two walked in. There was a small, wooden counter with a dark oak door. The walls were yellow and there were containments filled with sweets and goods. There were poles what looked like candy canes and candy designs in the door and window frames.

"Do they have root beer here?" Zack asked, as he and Pinkie sat down at a table with a blue, frilly, tablecloth. Pinkie tapped her chin. "I'll ask!" She ran up to the counter. "Mrs Caaake!" She called into the counter. A lady with dark blue skin and pink hair like icing on a cupcake came out of the back section of the bakery. She was wearing a frilly yellow apron over a pale blue, also frilly dress.

"Hello dears! What can I get you…" She said, staring at Zack with caution. Her words became jumbled up. "Pinkie! Morning! Cupcakes, great, good good!" She said, with a nervous and silly laugh. Pinkie laughed along with her.

"Do you have any root beer?" The pink girl asked, still snorting a bit. "And you know my favorite drink!" Pinkie said happily. Mrs Cake, nervously eyeing Zack disappeared around the back.

"So-" Zack began, but he was interrupted when Mrs Cake flung out a large, pink milkshake and a white, clear glass of root beer. "Wow. That was quick." He gaped. Pinkie laughed and brought the drinks over to the table.

"Of course! Mrs Cake is always quick." She said, taking a slurp of the pink milkshake. Zack wondered interested if Equestria root beer tasted like the stuff back in his old world. He took a small sip. It didn't just taste good... it tasted _better!_

"Woah.." He said, staring at the root beer with wide eyes and grin. "That is what you call root beer." Pinkie giggled, spitting out some of her milkshake in the progress. Zack, using his powers got a napkin and wiped up the mess. Pinkie smiled.

"Thanks Zack!" He returned the grin. Zack waved his hand in the air. "Watch this!" The root beer, thanks to Zack's powers lifted out of the glass and created lots of funny shapes. Pinkie laughed and banged her fist on the table, almost spilling her milkshake.

"You're like a big cuddly dragon!" She said. Zack blushed. That was very unexpected. Pinkie giggled. "What else can you do?"

Zack smiled. "What did the DNA say to the other DNA?" He asked. Pinkie shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "Do these genes make my butt look fat?" He asked. Pinkie laughed so hard that she actually turned the table over. The milkshake spilled over all the floor and the glass landed on Pinkie's hand. She cried out in pain. Zack patted her head.

"Watch." He said. Everything began resetting itself back to it's original position. Pinkie even felt herself being lifted and put back on her chair. Zack glanced at her hand. He reached out to it and healed it. _The Shinigami was right..._

"Woah! My hand.. It feels better!" Pinkie cried in excitement. She gave Zack a big hug. Zack blushed and pushed her away. "You are so funny! Is that all you can do?" She asked with excitement. Zack made his root beer turn into a weird face and mimicked his dad.

"Zaaaacharyyy.. Goooo tooo yoouurr _roooommmm…_ " He said in a silly voice. Pinkie burst into a laughing fit. "If you thought that was funny, look at this!" Zack cried. He turned into a dog and jumped around. Then he started doing the Gangnam Style. Pinkie was in tears of laughter. He jumped around the room as a black Labrador and barked, then performed tricks like an acrobatic. Pinkie clapped. Zack bowed like a gentleman then turned into a bee. He flew around, making Pinkie smile. Then he turned into Rarity.

His hair was curly and purple and his light blue, puffy top shimmered with Rarity's dark purple skirt with three diamonds imprinted on it. He danced around. "Fashion!" He cried. Pinkie laughed and clapped. She was seated on the floor, staring at Zack like an intrigued audience. He then transformed into Applejack, who had a jean skirt, a white t-shirt with green on the top and cowboy boots. He jumped around and lassoed random items, creating a mess. Pinkie clapped.

Zack turned into Rainbow Dash, who had a light blue skirt with black leggings underneath and a white t-shirt, with a black lined lighting bolt on a white t-shirt covered by a blue vest. He zoomed around the room, still a bit out of practice with flying and crashed into a cabinet, creating a cake mess. He turned into Twilight and dropped on the ground. He then mission impossible style crawled away from the mess. He got up and turned into Fluttershy.

"Turn into me! Turn into me!" Pinkie cried, jumping up and down. Zack rolled his eyes and turned into Pinkie. He brushed at her thick, pink, curly hair.

"Yay!" Cried Pinkie. They mirrored for a few moments. Zack and Pinkie raised their hands then jumped backwards. They blew raspberries at each other, then danced around.

"What in the name of-" Said Mrs Cake entering the room and looking at the mess, then at the two pinkies. She scowled with shock.

"Oops! Sorry." Said Zack, with Pinkie's voice. He used his powers to make everything move back into place. He then grabbed Pinkie's hand and pulled her outside. They blushed at each other when they looked at their clutched hands. They tightened the grip.

"Oh Zacky Bear." Said Pinkie Pie. Zack's face turned a pale red and he turned back into himself. He and Pinkie turned back and glanced at the outside of Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie looked into Zack's eyes. Then her smiled faded and her voice became serious.

"Zack." She said. Zack, surprised by her sudden serious attitude looked into her blue eyes. "Yes?"

"I.. I think you're sweeter than a cupcake, funnier than a clown and.. More handsome than.."

"Pinkie.. Stop talking.." Said Zack jokingly. He had a goofy smile on his face. Pinkie giggled and snorted. "You're making me feel precious." Pinkie kissed him on the cheek. Zack fell back in surprise, with a even larger smile on his face. He looked at the sky and saw a angry, probably jealous Rainbow Dash fly by. He turned back to Pinkie and the two leaned in.

"HI ZACK!" A high pitched voice called. The CMC ran up to him, Applebloom wearing a puffy yellow t-shirt and jeans. Scootaloo had a dark purple hoodie and a jean capris. Sweetie belle was wearing a green t-shirt and blue denim shorts. Zack broke from Pinkie's grip and turned to them.

"We could use your help with our show." Applebloom said, holding a bucket of paint. Zack bended down to them and smiled. He quickly glanced at Pinkie. She shrugged. "Where's your show?" He asked.

* * *

Zack walked behind a large red curtain. He peeked out it and saw quite a large audience.

"What's going on?" He asked to Scootaloo. She smiled.

"It's a talent show! We're going to be performing a song." Said Scootaloo, slapping on some makeup. She put on a pair of dark purple glove with streaks of blue and pink. Zack observed the painted backdrops and costumes.

"Cool. What song?" Zack asked. He went over and got a can of paint to help finish one of the backdrops.

"About getting our cutie marks!" Cried Scootaloo, jumping around. "And I'm going to sing!" Zack raised an eyebrow and remembered Sweetiebelle's singing.. He almost dropped the paint at that thought.

"Hello my little ponies and Zack!" Said Twilight. She looked over at him. "I haven't seen you all day! What have you been doing?" Zack shrugged and put the paint down. "Stuff." Twilight raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"It's time for the show!" Cried Applebloom. Zack and Twilight stood by side. Twilight was wearing a dark purple skirt with a pink star, a school uniform type denim blue shirt with puffy shoulder sleeves and a little bow-tie.

"I have a bad feeling about this.." Twilight muttered, as she and Zack covered their ears at Scootaloo's singing.

"And I thought Sweetiebelle was bad." Zack said under his breath. Twilight rolled her eyes. They watched as Applebloom accidently crashed some of the sets and Sweetiebelle fall over.

"They haven't been following their own talents.." Said Twilight. "Their show could've of been so much better." Zack sighed and patted Twilight's back. "They'll learn Twi, they'll learn." Suddenly, all the sets literally fell on the CMC and the audience erupted into laughter. The CMC, with their heads hung low walked past Zack and Twilight.

"Were we really that bad?" Asked Applebloom to Zack and Twilight. They both shrugged. The CMC sat themselves at the back and sulked. "We're so stupid.."

"Girls! It's time for the awards!" Called a voice. A lady with plum skin, lavender and pale pink hair entered the room. Her eyes were green. She was wearing a white, long sleeve t-shirt and a green skirt with flower designs.

"Do we have to?" Asked Sweetiebelle sadly, as the CMC dropped their heads in sync.

"Come on girls, it's good sports." Said Cheerilee, the teacher of the CMC's school. The girls groaned angrily and followed after their teacher. Zack and Twilight watched from backstage as the CMC were awarded best comedy act. Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack came to backstage as the three fillies did.

"I'm so proud of y'all!" Cried Applejack, giving her sister a hug. Sweetiebelle went to Rarity and Scootaloo to Rainbow Dash.

"Well done My Little Ponies! Now, do you have a friendship report for me?" Asked Twilight. The fillies nodded.

"We learnt that comedy is our true talent." The fillies said in harmony. Twilight sighed and shook her head. "And we also learnt from our mistakes that sometimes we should stick with our real talents." Twilight nodded. The fillies went back to the other girls.

"Let's get out of here. I'm tired." Said Zack. Twilight nodded and the two of them walked off.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! What do you think of Zack so far? You can go and ask Lewamus Prime 2016 if you have any questions about the OC. He (or she) usually comes up with the romantic/basic summary of the story while I come up with the parts that are more actioned based. I'm not a romantic. The CMC part was what I came up with. The rest was Lewamus Prime. Anyways, enough flaggle claggle from me.**

 **~Ponystories.**


	8. A Dog and Pony Show

"Okay, over here!" Said Rarity. Zack and Spike followed her over to a patch of barren, brown earth. Rarity's horn light up a bright blue and she smiled with satisfaction and pointed at the patch of earth. Spike, his eyes full of hearts dug up the ground like a dog and collected a pile of colourful, shining jewels. Rarity's magic lifted them from Spike's hands and into a red wagon.

"Perfect! Good job, Spikey Wikey!" Rarity exclaimed, patting the dragon's head. Spike giggled in a silly way. Zack's nose pricked up and he pointed to another patch of earth.

"I think there's some jewels over there!" He cried, walking over to the dirt. Rarity and Spike eagerly followed. Zack used his powers to blast away the dirt and pick up some more gems.

"Wow… Thank you, Zack.." Rarity said dreamily, blinking her eyelashes. Zack smiled at her. "You're welcome."

Rarity's horn light up. "Okay, maybe we could try searching together. We would find a lot more jewels." She said, walking around. Spike was watching her with a romantic smile. Zack rolled his eyes at Spike, seeing his cheeks blush. Suddenly, something furry and brown burst from the ground. Rarity screamed as it wrapped around her legs, pulling her underground. Zack and Spike ran over to assist.

"Rarity!" Zack cried. Suddenly a furry thing grabbed his legs. Zack cried out in surprise and felt himself being dragged down into the underworld. He placed his hand onto the edge of the burrow before he could fall down, and felt like something was being taken out of him. His energy, part of his spirit. Spike grabbed his hand, but the furry thing pulled on Zack too hard, making him lose the grip from the small dragon. Zack disappeared underground.

"NOOO!" Spike wailed, waving his arms in distress. Suddenly something rose from the ground. It none other than Zack. Spike gasped and stared at him.

"Zack?" Spike asked in confusion. "But you-" Zack shook his head.

"I'm his clone. I want to help. Zack created me. I'm part of his spirit." He said boldly. He looked identical to the original Zack, just a little paler.

Spike raised an eye in confusion. "Dude? How many superpowers do you have?!" Zack shrugged and grabbed his arm. "Come on!"

* * *

The original Zack and Rarity plummeted down into a room full of dirt and rocks. There were passages that went who knows where and thick, grey walls of rock. Zack heard a growl behind him and saw a dog covered in silver armor. Rarity stood next to Zack, shivering in fright. Three figures came before them. One of them had grey skin and dark blue claws. He had a black collar with blue diamonds and a grey coat. He was the largest of the trio.

The small puny one had tortilla fur, a matching collar and coat just like the large dog's. The third one had grey fur, bright green eyes and a red coat. His collar was matching the other dogs, except his had a little yellow diamond dangling from the front.

"Who are you?" Rarity asked to the trio.

"We are the diamond dogs!" The red coated one, called Rover said.

"We hunt for jewels." Fido, the large dog continued. The small one, called Spot smiled. "And now we hunt... for you!" Zack and Rarity glanced at each other. Rarity smiled nervously and backed away slowly.

"Um.. That sounds wonderful, but we really must be going.." Rarity said, putting her hand on Zack's arm. The guard behind them, with a diamond spear growled fiercely at them. The girl squeaked in surprise and jumped back to her original position.

"Find gems!" Hissed Rover. The guards crawled behind Zack and Rarity, their spearheads glowing dangerously. Rarity's horn light up and she searched the ground. She stopped at a certain spot, got out a stick and poked the ground with it, creating an X.

"There you go. Happy now?" Rarity asked, pointing at the X. The dogs glared at her. "Dig it up." Rarity looked shocked and gasped loudly. "Dig it up?! I would never put my hand in that disgusting, filthy-"

"You, dragon! Dig it up!" Snapped Spot, turning to Zack. The dragon boy groaned and glared at them. "I won't dig it up doc, but I will do this." Zack said, staring at the confused dogs. His hands light up and he shot a blast of energy at the X, creating an explosion and a mess of dirt. The dogs screamed like two year olds and fell onto their backs. Zack lifted the gems out of the ground and handed them to the paralyzed dogs. Rarity sniggered slightly at the dogs' expressions as the rolled on the floor. They quickly got up before anything else could happen. Rover stared at the jewels; He had gems at last. He felt the excitement of being rich boil inside of him, but his face showed shock. That explosion wasn't fun.

"Maybe just dig next time.." He gasped. Rarity and Zack laughed together, staring at the leader dog.

"What are you laughing at?" Fido snapped suddenly, stopping Rarity and Zack's flurry of giggles. "Go back to finding gems!"

"Why? In this smelly old tunnel you call home?" Rarity scoffed. The dogs growled and put a cart on Rarity. It's rust weighed down on her spotless shoulders. Spot turned to Zack.

"Dragon boy, you better not create anymore explosions.." Hissed Spot. He glanced darkly at the guards, with a devilish grin. "Or else.."

"Or else what, doc?" Zack tauntingly asked. Spot smacked him and pulled him over to Rarity. "Help her dig up the jewels!" Zack stood next to Rarity and crossed his arms. The girl cried out in pain and her eyes filled with tears.

"This is too tight!" She whined, looking at her harness attached over her shoulders.

"Shush!" Snapped Rover. But Rarity didn't shush. She cried desperately and angrily. "Ugh, it's too dirty and everybody in here smells like Sweetie belle after she danced in the rain!" Rover angrily came over and slapped her butt. "Get to work!" Zack and Rarity walked around, the latter's horn bright blue. Her face was covered with stress and sweat. Zack glanced at Spot. A plan was beginning to hatch in the dragon's mind, and his face showed a rather mischievous expression. He signalled for him to come over.

"What do you want?" Spot asked angrily, his stubby legs firmly planted in the ground.

"What's up doc?" Zack asked innocently, an imaginary halo over his head. Spot raised an eyebrow and gritted his teeth. Zack's smile turned evil and imaginary devil horns replaced the halo. "You!" He punched Spot into the roof, causing his head to get stuck in it. Little cracks appeared all around the head. Rarity bursted into laughter. The guards angrily came towards Zack, their spears in the air. Zack rolled his eyes and got out a can of rootbeer and sipped, with Rarity sniggering. The dogs got angrier and ran faster towards Zack. He blew a raspberry at them and and took flight. He stood next to Spot hanging in the roof and shielded himself from the dogs throwing spears at him.

"Look everyone, we have a new chandelier!" Zack cried, poking Spot. He growled as he wiggled in place. Rarity laughed hysterically and banged her fist on the gem cart. Even Fido snorted a little bit, but he soon stopped when he saw Rover's expression.

"GET HIM YOU IDIOTS!" Screamed Rover, pointing fiercely at Zack. Spot groaned, popped his head out of the roof and landed on the ground. Zack smiled cheekily at the dogs, then disappeared. Rover threw his fists at the passages that lead who knows where, and the other two dogs went up them to find the dragon boy.

* * *

"So, you're Zack's clone?" Twilight asked with confusion, as they walked alongside. "I didn't know he could do that.."

"Me either. The original Zack is down with Rarity, which is who we need to save." Zack's clone replied, as the mane 6 gathered around one hole. There were lots of holes filled with dirt and some of the girls had pieces of mud and rock and their hair, which were not so pleasant reminders from the first attempt to capture the dogs. Spike was dangling a stick, with a piece of string at the end, holding a bright blue gem. "Kind of can't believe Spike is sacrificing his special gem for this rescue mission." Zack said to Twilight, but loud enough for everyone else to hear.

"Well, it's for Rarity.. And for the original Zack." Said Spike, as the blue gem shimmered in the daylight. Zack kneeled patted his back. "Good for you, doc." Suddenly something grabbed the blue gem and pulled Spike down. He cried out in surprise.

"Spike!" Cried Twilight. She grabbed on Spike's leg and she got pulled down too. Zack grabbed onto Twilight, Applejack grabbed onto Zack, Rainbow Dash grabbed onto Applejack, Fluttershy grabbed onto Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie jumped in after everyone else. The group fell through a long, dirty tunnel, screaming for fear (except for Pinkie, who was having a great time). They landed in a pile in a room full of passages.

"Great. Where next?" Rainbow Dash asked angrily, getting up. The girls and Zack glanced at the tons of passages. Spike groaned and pushed Twilight's hand off his waist. Zack helped him stand up and the two glanced at each other.

"Hmm.." Twilight said, observing the tunnels. She suddenly clicked her fingers, and her face light up with joy. "Of course! Rarity would be in the tunnel with the most jewels!" She turned to Zack. "Do you think you can find the tunnel with the most jewels?" Zack nodded and pricked up his nose. His eyes were shut, and soon the smell of gems was strong. He reopened his eyes and pointed a tunnel on the bottom level of the room. He and his harem ran over to the tunnel. Spike and Zack walked alongside, one much taller than the other.

"Do you think we'll find Rarity?" Spike asked, with a nervous expression. Zack shrugged and patted his head. "Maybe. Besides, those.. Dog guys won't be able to stand against me." He said, showing off his wing. Spike rolled his eyes, then lowered his head. His expression changed from sarcastic to sad.

"I just want Rarity to notice me a little more.." He sighed, depression and honesty in his voice. Zack put his arm around the dragon's shoulder. "Hey hey, Rarity does notice you. But if you really want her to see you, you must do more than just help her and be her servant. Talk to her, express your feelings." Zack replied, looking down at Spike with a grin. Spike returned the smile. "Thanks Zack." The two dragons fist bumped. The two didn't realize while their chat was happening, the girls had been ambushed.

"Um.. guys, we got problems over here!" Rainbow Dash cried, as guard dogs came from everywhere. The large dogs grabbed the girl's arms and tried to get them to pull large chunks of metal.

"Okay Spike." Zack said, looking at the small dragon. The tall one grinned. "It's time to shine!" He and Spike ran side by side towards the dogs, their faces covered in heroic smiles. Zack helped Spike jump into the air towards an angry dog, holding Twilight. The large dark dog had Twilight's arms pinned down to a rope connected to a large chunk of metal. She cried out in pain as the dog barked at her.

"You can do it Spike!" Zack cried, watching the small dragon. Spike opened his mouth and let out a small breath of bright green fire towards the dog. It squealed and looked away, creating an escape for Twilight. Zack clapped loudly and smiled at the small dragon, feeling proud of him. Spike landed on the ground and Zack helped him up. The young dragon looked a little dazed.

"Good job!" Zack said eagerly to Spike. The latter nodded in thanks.

* * *

"Where is that dragon boy?" Fido mumbled to himself, shoving some dirt off his head. Then, out of the corner of his eye he saw something move. Fido's face light up with joy. _The dragon!_

Fido rushed over to it, but the 'dragon' had disappeared. The dog scratched his head and looked around, his eyes full of confusion. "Where did he go?" Fido asked out loud, not caring if anyone heard him. Suddenly something tapped him on the head. Fido turned around a saw a boy drinking some root beer. The boy smiled lazily, his legs crossed and his back lounged on the pile of dirt. "What's up doc?"

"Buzz up pal, there's a dragon down there and I'm trying to get him!" Fido replied, digging around. Zack rolled his eyes and sipped his root beer. _Is he really that stupid?_

"Eh, what do you mean dragon?" Said Zack, shaking his glass a root beer a little, as if he was trying to get it to fizz and explode.

"You know a dragon, with big wings." Said Fido, facing Zack. Zack spread out his wings and glanced at them like they were a million dollars. "Like this?"

"Yeah, and a long scaly tail." Said Fido, tapping his chin. Zack stood up and waved his tail. "Like this?" Fido nodded.

"And, he could breath fire." The dog said. Zack breathed out a little bit of fire, it's heat penetrating the air. "Like this?" Fido glanced at the dragon and a thoughtful expression consumed his face, turning him quiet. I think this the dragon we are looking for. Fido turned back and Zack and narrowed his eyes, making sure he looked tough.

"Hey pal, are you a dragon?" Fido asked, which to one may sound like a stupid, obvious question.

"Listen doc.. Now, don't spill it to no one but.." Zack said, signaling Fido to come close. Zack leaned up to his ear and breathed in. "I AM A DRAGON!" He screamed loudly, hurting the dog's eardrum. Zack grinned with satisfaction, took flight and smiled at him. "Oh, by the way. Tag, you're it!" He cried, before flying off.

* * *

"Let me go!" Rarity cried. Rover laughed and smacked her face, leaving claw marks against her soft skin.

"Why would I do that, my little mule?" Asked Rover tauntingly. Rarity burst into tears and weeped on the ground, creating a puddle.

"You.. you think I'm.. I'm a mule?" She wailed noisily, her tears flying everywhere and filling the puddle. Rover soon realized his mistake and his eyes filled with horror. "Uh.. no..no.." He started desperately, but Rarity's crying got louder. Suddenly Spot fell through the roof, creating mess and shock.

"Did you find the dragon-ugh!" Groaned Rover, covering his ears from the dreaded crying. Spot shook his little head. He copied the former and covered his ears from the crying girl. Their eyes were creased and shut like a lock.

"What did you do?" Asked Spot, crouching and cringing. Rover shrugged. "Who cares? Just somebody please make her stop!"

"The only thing that will be stopping is you!" A voice called from the other side of the room. The mane 6, along with Zack's clone and Spike stood boldly.

"The dragon boy!" The two dogs cried together, their eyes opening wide. Zack's clone raised an eyebrow. "My original isn't here?" He asked, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, Zack's clone began turning very pale. He seemed to be falling apart and his body was turning into gas.

"Zack!" Cried Twilight in fright. She squeaked when his body had completely disappeared. "Hey, I'm over here!" Another Zack, the real Zack cried. He jogged over to the mane 6. The dogs had shocked expressions on the faces, as they had just seen someone naked.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Wailed Rover angrily, his head full of rage. The mane 6 got into fighting positions.

"This!" Replied Zack. The girls jumped in different positions, while he and Spike didn't move at all. Zack winked at Spike and pointed at Rarity. "Go, my little bro!" Spike smiled at Zack and ran over to the girl.

"You!" Screamed Rover, running towards Zack, imaginary steam coming from his ears. "You're ruining everything!"

"Really? Well you're deth-picable!" Zack replied with a mischievous smile, jumping out of the way. Rover growled and charged towards Zack like a angry bull.

"Come and get it, doc!" Zack called, shooting a bolt at Rover's feet and laughing. The dog squeaked and just jumped over the black bolt. He turned back up to Zack and growled. Zack blew a raspberry at him, until he heard a cry from Twilight, who Fido (who had recovered from an uncomfortable experience had now returned) was pinning the girl on the ground. Twilight's eyes were full of fear and she shivered as the dog's claws dug into her shoulder blades.

"Twilight! Sorry doc, but our fight is on hold." Zack said to Rover, using his powers to cover him in smoke. Huh, I didn't know I could do that, thought Zack. He ran over to Twilight, who screamed in pain as Fido growled at her. Zack tapped the dog on the head and snarled at him.

"Remember me?" Zack asked, using a bolt of black lighting on the dog. Fido whelped and flew into the ground. Zack helped Twilight to her feet, and her fear vanished.

"Thanks." She said. Zack nodded and saw that Spot had been defeated, and Spike was dealing with Fido with help from Rainbow Dash.

"THAT'S IT!" Bellowed Rover, scaring everybody. He pointed at Zack, his face even madder than before, making one think of Rover as a Psychopath. "I've just about had enough of you! GET HIM!" He yelled at his guards. The dogs, with their shining spears charged towards Zack and bared their teeth.

"Okay. You give no choice." Said Zack. He felt his energy build up inside him and transformed into a ghost dragon. He flexed his muscles and flapped his wings. He glanced at one dog, and it's eyes turned black, as if Zack was possessing it. While he was doing this, the dragon's eyes turned blood red and he let out a horrifying scream. The other guard dogs stopped in their path and ran the other way, screaming for good life and fear. Even Rover looked away in horror.

"AHH! Make it stop!" He screamed in agony. His ears were covered and he was crouched in a position, as he was a statue. "TAKE ALL THE GEMS! TAKE YOUR GIRLFRIEND, JUST MAKE IT STOP!" Zack released the hypnotised dog, who passed out from dizziness. He turned back to normal and glanced at the gem carts. Spike was supporting Rarity, who blushed at him. Zack looked at the cringing dogs.

"T..T..T.. That's all folks!" He said, with a goofy grin.

* * *

"We're almost there!" Rarity cried, as everyone carried the large carriages. Zack walked next to Rarity, making her heart beat like it was going to explode. She giggled and looked away, pretending to need to ich her arm. Spike jogged next to Zack.

"Thanks for everything." Spike said, looking up at Zack. Zack kneeled down and fist bumped him.

"What are friends for? After all, us dragon bros gotta stay together."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This took forever to write + edit.**


	9. Green isn't your Color

"Okay, just another ribbon." Rarity mumbled, grabbing Fluttershy's hand. Zack handed her a pink ribbon and the purple-haired girl tied it around Fluttershy's wrist. "Perfect!" She exclaimed, as the yellow girl shifted uncomfortably, showing a small frown. Spike's tugged on Zack's sleeve and pulled him over to a group of Pinkie and Twilight.

"I.. I have something to tell you.." He said, looking at his surrounding friends with nervous eyes. Twilight raised an eyebrow, Pinkie looked suspicious and Zack remained cool. "Okay, I sort of have a secret crush on.." His voice lowered and everyone leaned in. "Rarity." Pinkie gasped and her eyes went wide with shock.

"Honestly, I already knew." Zack said cooly. Pinkie and Spike stared at him with surprise. "You did?"

"Well, it's not like you tried to hide it." Twilight said, walking over to Rarity with confidence. Zack grabbed her shoulder and tugged it to make sure she didn't say anything to Rarity. He raised his eyebrows.

"It's a secret, Twi." The purple girl sighed and rolled her eyes. Suddenly the door of the boutique opened, revealing a girl with Rainbow Dash coloured skin and shoulder length straight pale grey hair. She was wearing a dress that had white coloured water drops on the black exposed skirt. Her top half had a magenta tie and was surrounded by black and white. She had large sunglasses, with a magenta lens and a large black outline.

"Photo Finish has arrived!" The girl cried with a sassy voice. She pulled out a royal suitcase that (somehow) transformed into a camera. Fluttershy stood on top of a platform, wearing a black puffy and lacy dress. It was lined with pink fluff and her hat looked like a controlled explosion of fluro pink feathers. The black part of the dress had tiny white specks that shimmered in the light.

"No.." Photo Finish tutted, disagreeing with the poses Fluttershy was asked to perform by Rarity. The girl cowered out and hid her head. Photo Finish's eyes light up with excitement; she could see a chance for this girl and snapped a photo. Fluttershy performed another open of Rarity's moves and Photo Finish did not approve. Fluttershy crouched and shut her eyes, sort of like if you were go to the toilet. Apparently to Photo Finish, this was a master piece.

"Ah, you have a lot of opportunity to shine over Equestria!" The girl cried, as her 'camera' turned back into a suitcase. "See you at Photo Shoot tomorrow. I GO." She walked out without another word. Rarity's eyes light up with indescribable joy and she jumped in the air, her hoof crushing Spike's tail.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Twilight asked with concern, staring down at the little dragon. He just gazed at Rarity, his eyes full of romance. "Thick scales, can't feel a thing. Even if I could, there is no pain from keeping me from assisting the most beautiful creature in the world.." Twilight rolled her eyes.

* * *

Zack decided to join Rarity and Fluttershy at the photo shoot. Rarity was holding a pile of clothes for Fluttershy to put on the for the shoot. There was a large platform with built in lights ready for the performance.

"No, no!" Photo Finish wailed at the dresses Rarity had chosen. Her head shook in distress. Rarity blushed with a big nervous smile. "Uh, I'm sure there is another one!" She flustered and turned to Zack. He quickly turned to the rack of Rarity's dresses and the two searched frantically for new dresses. Photo Finish shook her head disapprovingly at Rarity, who couldn't find the right dress.

"No, it is not you that I want." She ignored Rarity, turned to Fluttershy and rested her hand under her chin. "It is you!" Fluttershy's eyes filled with sadness and she turned away. "Uh, I'd rather not.. Please.." Rarity grabbed her arm and she and Zack formed a huddle, behind the shoot.

"Go on Fluttershy! This is your big chance!" Rarity cried with excitement, shaking the girl's arms. Fluttershy shook off the dizziness. She glanced into Rarity's desperate eyes and her heart filled with hope and empathy. Zack shrugged simply at her. The yellow girl turned to Photo Finish and nodded, accepting her offer. The photographer smiled with satisfaction. "Fluttershy! We go now!" Photo Finish grabbed Fluttershy's arm and dragged her off. Zack patted Rarity's back as the two watched Fluttershy leave. Rarity bowed her head, not seeming to notice Zack's attempts to cheer her up.

* * *

As time went on, Zack began to notice Fluttershy was becoming more popular. She was in magazines, advertisement and endorsement deals. Soon, everypony knew her name. Rarity was becoming more and more jealous as time went on. Zack became more nervous of the two girls' friendship; Rarity was teeming with jealousy and Fluttershy was just plain nervous. It got worst when Fluttershy visited Rarity to get away from tourists then soon left, and ponies only came in because they wanted to find Fluttershy and didn't care about the unicorn's dresses. Fluttershy, feeling guilty got out of her modeling to try and visit Rarity at their meetly spa meetup.

Zack, Twilight and Rarity headed to the spa. Rarity, wearing a crystal blue one-piece (sorry people who like bikinis) climbed into the spa. She was relaxed by the foamy water as it surrounded her body. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to relax and float her arms around in the water. Twilight was wearing a lilac leotard-like bathing suit. She climbed into the water. Zack dipped his foot into the hot water, and slunk back a bit. He dipped his foot into the water once again, then very slowly climbed in.

"Surprise surprise, Fluttershy isn't here." Scoffed Rarity, a lifeless expression on her face. She moved her arms in the water a bit, creating small waves. She zipped out of her relaxed mode suddenly and faced Zack and Twilight, her hair flying everywhere. Her eyes filled with shock and sadness.

"Oh please don't tell Fluttershy this, but I really wish her bright star would 'burn out!' I know I should be happy for her, but instead I'm just jealous! Please don't tell her, pleasepleaseplease!" She exclaimed, her face suddenly right up to Twilight's and Zack's. The latter pushed her away, noticing the excitement and stress in her eyes. "You will keep the secret safe forever?" She asked, biting her royal purple nails.

Zack and Twilight, in time performed the oath of keeping secrets; or in other words, nodding. Rarity smiled and hugged them. "Thank you so much!" Her eyes then narrowed when she glanced at a clock on the spa wall. She pushed them away with a snort.

"Well, Fluttershy's not coming. I suppose I'll have to go." She climbed out of the water, grabbed a fresh spa towel and wrapped it around her body. Zack quickly flew out of the water, causing Twilight to scream and leap back. The dragon boy grabbed Rarity's shoulder before she could leave.

"Rarity." He said, and the two faced each other with sparkling eyes. "I know you worked hard on your design and I'm sure Photo Finish will open her eyes and see to see your true masterpiece; how hard you worked so don't lose hope. Besides, Fluttershy is not the type of a pony who wants that much attention or fame... I bet she didn't like that Photo Finish didn't approve of your own work and wants her to change her mind, because she knows you deserve better." Rarity stared at him, completely flabbergasted at his words. Her eyes filled with joy, which is something Zack hadn't seen for ages.

"I.. I don't what to say." She reached over and kissed his cheek, making a basket of sponges twitch angrily. Twilight, for a second time squeaked and leaped back into the spa, creating a large splash. Zack blushed bright red as Rarity walked out of the room. Suddenly, Fluttershy bursted in, clips in her hair and smudged makeup on her face.

"I'm.. I'm.. here!" She cried, putting her hands on her kneecaps and taking large breaths of air. She looked around at Zack and Twilight with confusion. "Where's Rarity?" The purple girl climbed out of the spa.

"You.. just missed her." Twilight said, a little shock in her eyes. She glanced nervously at the bucket of sponges. Fluttershy sighed and sat at the edge of the spa, her legs dangling over the edge. Zack sat next to her and Twilight looked at the both of them, but did not sit down. She kept looking at the sponges.

"I.. I don't really like being a model. I just don't want Rarity to be disappointed." Fluttershy said, bowing her head. Zack patted her back. "I can see that. I did try and help with the paparazzi, but there were so many and it got very confusing, but I understand your pain and I know you can make it." Fluttershy smiled weakly at him, dipping her finger in the spa.

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly something burst out of the bucket of sponges.

"SHHH!" Pinkie cried, causing Twilight once again to scream and fall into the water. Zack reached out a hand to pull her back again. Twilight, sniffing water out of her nose hopped onto the edge of the spa. The pink person then began acting this weird charade. She crawled on the floor like James Bond and jumped in the air then fainted dramatically. Twilight raised an eyebrow and Fluttershy stepped back in confusion, next to the purple girl. Zack stood forward and stared at Twilight, who was side-glaring at the spa, making one infer that she wasn't planning on falling in there anytime soon.

"Sometimes you have to keep a secret, but keeping it a secret won't be long because sometimes rules aren't meant to be broken for some good reason to be helped, but it's up to you to either spill it or not." Zack said kindly to Twilight, who clicked her fingers and pointed at him. Pinkie suddenly glanced at Zack's cheek and showed an angry, but rather thoughtful expression, as if a bad memory was playing in her head. She suddenly grasped Zack's arm.

"Hey Zack Bear! Let's go to the bakery, I've got a lot of cakes to make!" Pinkie said, skipping off happily, her face suddenly full of joy. Zack felt himself being pulled along with her. He waved comfortingly at Fluttershy, who glanced shyly back. She looked a little confused by all this Twilight falling into a spa stuff.

"Keep it up, Fluttershy!" Zack called, before he and Pinkie left the Spa.

* * *

Pinkie weighed in the perfect amount of flour and poured it into the large, pink baking bowl. Zack handed her the milk and she added that too.

"Now just a little mix, a little fix, a mix, a mix!" Pinkie sang, as Zack clapped his hands and sort of danced with her. He used his telekinesis to grab some butter. Pinkie whisked it in and made a fluffy, vanilla cake butter. She grabbed a cupcake pan and poured the batter in the moulds, then put the pan in the oven. She stared at the cakes for a moment, before turning to Zack.

"Zacky?" She asked, her voice and eyes suddenly tinged with sadness. Zack gulped. The pink girl breathed. "What happened back there with Rarity? Are you trying to ditch-"

"ZACK!" A familiar voice cried. Twilight suddenly burst into the room. Her eyes were frantic, but one could see she was definitely excited. "I have a plan: We're going to get Fluttershy out of business, and I need your help!" Zack turned to her.

"What is it?" He asked with intrigue. Pinkie stood next to him, back to her regular self.

"Well.." She said, grinning mischievously and tapping her chin. "It's all going to start with Fluttershy's next fashion show.."

The fashion show, one could say was quite a show. There were cosmetic artists, flashing lights, colourful and creative dresses and, of course, an audience. Fluttershy, Twilight and Zack stood backstage, ready to perform the plan. Fluttershy's hair was done in a rather royal hair style, with jewels and clips pinned all through it and a large lock of straight hair in front of her face. She was wearing a royal green dress with white lace at the neck, and matching green ribbons tied on her hands. She had cinderella-like high heels and small, diamond studs in her ears.

"This.. is going to work.. Isn't it?" Asked Fluttershy, staring nervously at Zack and Twilight. The latter nodded enthusiastically, while former was more slow. Fluttershy turned to the pale pink curtains and nervously listened to the cries of the audience. Twilight pushed her on, with an encouraging look.

"You'll be fine, it's for yourself and Rarity after all." Zack said kindly, as Fluttershy went into the stage light. Zack closed his eyes, trying to ignore the flashes of lights from the cameras and screams from the audience. His hands light up a pale black, and a subtle black energy surrounded the yellow girl.

"Okay.." Said Zack. He used his powers to take over the girl's body. It felt really weird; doing all those things to her. Fluttershy barked like a dog and got onto her knees and howled like a wolf. She then got up and constantly wobbled, tripped and fell. She then picked her nose, which caused lots of the audience to gasp. This was followed by a very silly dance by the girl, making everyone cringe. Photo Finish, watching from the audience gasped in horror. She shook her head in shame; _what was Fluttershy doing?_

"Bravo!" A voice from the crowd called. Everyone's heads, including Zack and Twilight turned to a girl with dark, curly purple hair, dark blue eyes and wearing a royal dress. "I have never seen such pizazz!" Rarity's hands clapped together loudly as she cheered. The people in the audience admired her outfit, and soon they began to clap too. Soon, the whole stadium was filled with cheers. Fluttershy sighed in sadness and bowed her head. The plan had failed. Zack and Twilight glanced at each other with disappointment. The yellow girl flew off the stage and joined her friends behind the stage. The lights turned off, and the three cringed at the cries of wonder from the audience.

"Well.. I'm more popular now.. Yay?" Fluttershy asked nervously, plastering on a fake smile. Zack patted her back quietly, when Rarity entered the room. Twilight, overwhelmed with the stress of keeping secrets shoved her hands in her mouth before she could blurt out anything. Her eyes were filled with terror and stress. Rarity looked at Fluttershy, sorrow in her eyes and face.

"Fluttershy.." She said, as the two stood face to face. "Honestly, I admit.. That.. I was a teeny bit jealous of your.. _Stardom_.." Her face blushed with subtle embarrassment. "I know I wanted to be happy for you so I cheered for you in the fashion show." Fluttershy's eyes widened and she stared.

"Really? Well, I sort of..maybe didn't really like being famous.." She admitted, her voice full of honesty. "I only continued because I thought you wanted me too." The two glanced at each other and realized. They broke into silly laughter and had a close hug, which made Zack smile too. Twilight looked like she was about to explode from stress of keeping secrets. Fluttershy and Rarity gave a weird look at her.

"Um.. Twilight.. Are you alright?" Rarity asked, staring at the girl on the floor. She didn't move. Rarity and Fluttershy glanced at each other, then at Zack.

* * *

Twilight and Zack cleaned up the library before night could set in. It had been a few hours since the fashion show.

"I'm terrible at keeping secrets.." Twilight said, as she pushed some books into a shelf. Zack shrugged. "Come on Twi, you're not that bad." He said with a smile. Twilight rolled her eyes, then looked at the books around the room.

"Go to bed, I can handle the rest of this mess." The purple girl said, her magic adjusting books.

"Are you sure?" Zack asked, as he handed Twilight a book about magic schools. She nodded, very concentrated on her organizing. "I cleaned your bed for you, so hopefully it will be really fresh." Zack stared at her with a goofy smile.

"You're not my mother Twilight!" He said jokingly, clapping her back. She rolled her eyes again and gave him a mischievous glance.

Zack flew into his guest bed and stared out the window, embedded in his small, wooden room. There were shelves made out of wood, with lots of books and scrap paper sticking out. A blue doona with a picture of a grey pony with a long white beard was on the bed. Twilight had told Zack that this was Starswirl The Bearded, who apparently was a famous spell master. Zack closed his eyes, adjusting to the surroundings and began to feel sleepy. Suddenly he heard something.

"Twilight?" He asked, looking around, his adrenaline active. He peeked out of the window, and saw something move. He jumped to his feet and opened the window and quietly flew down. His feet dug into the dirt as he looked around. "Hello?" He called, looking around nervously. No answer. Then something grabbed him and flung him into a tree. A tremendous roar sounded through the town, waking up everypony in sight. Something emerged from the ground, and hell it was ugly.

It was large, green bulgy thing. It had a face like witches from old fairy tales, with a long nose covered with bulges. The skin was oozy and bright green and formed two hands and feet with overgrown black nails. It's eyes were bright yellow and it was about twice Twilight's height. Screams rose from all over Ponyville, and the mane 6 gathered in a group and stared at the creature with pure terror. Zack got to his feet and glanced at the horrible creature. It grabbed him in his oozy hand and chucked him into the ground, face first. There were gasps from everywhere. The creature turned to the ponies and launched a bolt of fire at a building, alighting it on fire. He zoomed all over the town, blasting fire everywhere, creating an explosion of burning light. Twilight raised her hand in the air. People screamed as they fought for survival.

"Here!" She screamed, as people ran her direction. Soon, there was a large crowd surrounding her. Twilight's hands light up as she furiously tried to create a force field. As her magic wasn't super strong (not at the moment anyway), it was a very weak force field. She groaned and fell to the floor, all her energy draining out to make the force field around the civilians. She looked so drained and stressed, making one think she had 50 exams. But her force field stood in glory, protecting the ponies from the sputtering fire. The green creature laughed.

"This is your protection?" He asked, banging his fist on the force field, causing Twilight to cry out in pain.

"No!" Zack cried, getting to his feet and spitting dirt out of his mouth. "This is!" He suddenly felt himself transforming.

His skin became charcoal, and he had a blue underside extending from his lower jaw to the tip of his tail. Two spikes with blue tips curved upwards from the front and back of each shoulder. His horns sharpened, turning from red to blue and curved slightly upwards. His brow and claws grew larger and the snout became shorter. His eyes turned red with white pupils. He also had some muscle around his body.

"You want protection? I'll give you protection!" Zack cried. Everyone stopped and stared at him with shock, even Spike. Twilight, who was drained out looked up. "Go Zack!" She cried, with the last of her energy. The shield was still holding, but just barely. This was followed by a cheer from Pinkie.

The green creature grabbed Zack suddenly and held him in a headlock. "Stand down brat! Or I'll do it by force!"

"I don't stand down to know one, even in death!" Zack yelled back, his tail wrapping around the monster's throat and slapping him into the ground about 6 times. He then chucked him into the air, causing him to land on the ground. The ooze creature quickly got up and charged at the Zack. The dragon breathed some fire at him, which the green one mostly dodged.

"Hold still so I can roast you!" Zack snapped, trying to take aim at the speeding creature.

"Like that will happen, why don't you chill out?" The green thing replied tauntingly. Zack gave him a taunting smirk. "As you wish, doc." He blew a blast of ice at the green one, freezing it's body.

"Huh, I'm a pretty quick learner for a rookie." Zack said under his breath, as the people on the side cheered for joy; their sound reminding Zack about earlier when the ponies took photos of Fluttershy. The goblin shook off the ice and shot a bolt of fire at Zack. The force sent him into the ground, with a burnt tail.

"You just needed to heat up!" Laughed the bad guy, as Zack glared at his tarred tail. He got to his feet, extracted his claws and listened to the cheers around him. All the cheers of the people who knew he could do it:

The ones he needed to protect.

The dragon jumped at the green creature. The green one pushed him back, but Zack's courage had given him more strength, so he flew into the air and pounced angrily on the creature and snarled. "Who are you and why did you attack me?"

"Like I'd tell you anything, lizard boy." The creature snarled back. Zack punched him hardly, forcing him to cry in pain.

"You want your teeth, I want my answer." Zack hissed, glaring at the goblin with hatred of all that he had done to Ponyville and the civilians.

"Wait 'till someone gets the bounty put on you, since the Dragon God Of Darkness set it up." The goblin said, snickering slightly. Zack's face showed confusion.

"What dragon god of darkness?"

"When Draco and his siblings not to mention.. _ahem,_ some hired people who want you dead or alive will receive lots of booty." The creature laughed and laughed and until Zack knocked him out, making the scene not so funny.

"Hope they're not as ugly as you." He said through gritted teeth. The creature suddenly pushed him back, causing Zack to turn back into himself.

"I'll be back for you boy, and next time victory will be mine!" The villain cried, suddenly taking flight.

"Before you go, tell that Draco that I said beware.. Mess with my home, family, friends or even the innocent will feel the wrath of the Phantom Dragon!" Zack called, standing on two legs, watching the goblin disappear into the night.

* * *

"Who.. Who.." Twilight said, the following morning. She still looked tired and drained; her hair was messy and all over the place. Zack patted her shoulder. She was so flabbergasted from the events of what had happened.

"You need to rest Twi. The princesses requested to see me anyway, so.." He said, pointing to her bedroom. She trudged like a snail up the stairs and up to her room. Zack, watching her with caution turned his head to the exit. He placed his hand on the doorknob, twisted and entered the messy Ponyville. Buildings were broken, trees were ripped and large footprints and dirt marks covered the ground. Tiles, bricks and everything else was scattered all over the town. The sun was shining; but what good what it do to a town like this?

Zack felt himself fill with a sympathetic, sad energy that made his body turn a pale gold. It escaped from his body and went all through the town, fixing the mess that the creature had made. The buildings fixed themselves, trees grew back and the roads cleaned themselves up. The ponies stopped grieving and stared in wonder as the Phantom Dragon fixed the mess.

"Now it's time," Zack said, looking around, "For a visit to the princesses."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! This was a tiring chapter ^-^.**


	10. Over a Barrel

**The Phantom Dragon chapter 10- Over a Barrel (P.S Obelisk, if you're reading this, I added more drama than I intentioned and made a few changes.)**

* * *

The train tracks crackled as the heavy train zoomed over them. Zack stared out of the dark window on his bunk, trying to ignore the sniggering girls. Across to him was Spike, who looked just as annoyed. Zack glanced at the girls and rolled his eyes. Spike rolled them back and faced the other way, propping his pillow over his head and muttered something under his breath. The older dragon hopped off the bed and went to the next cabin to see Applejack.

"Yes you are, yes you are!" The orange one said, in a tone one might use with a small kitten or baby. Applejack, with a motherly smile ruffled a tree's leaves. "You're a big strong apple tree, yes you are!"

"Ehem." Zack said from the entrance of cart. He had to clamp a hand over his mouth from trying not to laugh. Applejack turned around, and her cheeks burned a bright red.

"Oh, howdy Zack! I was just.. Uh.." The orange spluttered, falling onto her butt.

"Wishing Bloomberg a good night? I thought so." Zack replied, sitting next to her. They both stared at the tree.

"Well, it's just that, y'know, bein' planted in a whole new place is very upsettin' for a tree," The orange girl said, pulling a blanket over the tree, "Besides, Bloomberg needs a rest. Tomorrow we're givin' him a new home in Appleloosa."

"I'm sure.. Erm.. Bloomberg will be very happy there. But you seem a little down. Everything okay?" Zack asked, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm fine, just Bloomberg was always one of my favourites, y'know." Applejack said, not taking her glance of the the tree.

"Don't worry about it. He'll be fine. Come on, let's get out of here." Zack said, getting to his feet and helping the girl. Applejack quickly ran over to give Bloomberg a goodnight kiss (much to Zack's disturbance) and followed him out of the cabin. Applejack was staying in a different cabin to Zack, so he had to sleep with everyone else.

"What! Fluttershy's not a tree silly!" Pinkie Pie giggled quietly, although Zack could hear her loud and clear. He flew up to his own bed, where Spike looked more annoyed than before; he was squirming in his bed. Soon, the girls chittering became just as annoying for Zack.

"What's going on?"

"Rainbow Dash thinks Fluttershy's a tree!"

"No.. well, yes.. Not exactly.."

"Ya know she's not a tree, right?"

"I'd like to be a tree."

"OH FOR PETE'S SAKE!" Spike and Zack snapped together. "Come on, we'll go to Bloomberg's carriage." Zack whispered. The two hopped down from the beds and left the room and went up to Bloomberg's carriage.

"Hope you don't mind sharing with us, Bloomberg." Zack whispered, as the two climbed into the bed. Zack went on one side of Bloomberg, while Spike went on the other.

"Goodnight Zack."

"Goodnight Spike.. And Bloomberg."

* * *

A bump is what it took to wake Zack and Spike up. The former stood straight up and looked around. He heard a scream and saw Spike pressed against the back carriage window.

"Zack! They're taking us!" Spike screamed, as Zack felt the carriage being disconnected from the rest of the train. The older dragon ran furiously over to Spike and looked outside the window. What looked like dirt coloured balls of fur shoved against the carriage, making it wobble.

"Who's taking us?" Zack asked, as he looked back at the girls in the opposite carriage. Suddenly, their carriage flew backwards, and the girls' faces vanished in the distance. Dust and the balls of fur stole the view.

"I don't know!" Spike replied sadly, but panic still struck his voice. "We're doomed!"

"No we are not." Zack said sternly, glancing quickly at the blanket-covered Bloomberg. He teleported, much to Spike's surprise to the roof and stared at the balls of fur. He shut his eyes and adjusted to the hot sun around him.

"Stop!" He commanded, clenching his fists at the creatures. He didn't want to use his powers unless he had to. They didn't listen, making Zack groan. "This is your last warning! Don't make me hurt you!" He cried, a bit desperate. One of them glanced at him with dark eyes. It whispered something to another one, and the whole kerfuffle stopped. Dust cleared from the dirt ground.

"Who are you?" Zack asked, staring down at them from his rooftop.

"We are the buffalo tribe." One of them replied, with a voice of an ancient warrior. "And we require your tree."

Zack and Spike sat on two, plump, silky cushions. The buffalos began giving them lots of gems. Unlike Spike, Zack didn't really feel like eating gems. The older dragon stared at the hot fire in the middle of the buffalo's camp. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were also there. They had been brought there by the buffalos when they were caught sneaking around.

"Gross." Muttered the blue girl, pushing away a bowl of grey slop. She glared at a little tribe girl. The girl had light gamboge, puffy hair, light tangelo skin and two little Native American feathers in her hair. She was also wearing a pale, frilly yellow dress, and black peep toe heels. Dash glared at her. "YOU." She took a moment to breath, "Come on Pinkie, Spike, Zack, we're out of here."

"No! Wait! I'm sorry about what happened back on the train. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt!" Little Strongheart cried, fearfully, falling onto her butt. Rainbow Dash's shadow consumed her light and she scoffed, standing in front of her. Little Strongheart found her courage. "We only wanted the tree! The settler ponies have overtaken the land and planted an orchard all over it! Because of them, we cannot run over the traditional land!" Pinkie and Dash shrugged at each other, not really believing or understanding.

"What she means," Zack said, standing up, "Is that the Appleloosans have taken their stampeding trail."

"Mr Zack is very right! The settler ponies took our land, and now we are stuck here. They took our land without our permission!" The buffalo girl said. The much taller Rainbow Dash, still blocking her light looked at her thoughtfully.

"Woah! The settler ponies aren't very nice! Don't you agree?" Pinkie said from the corner.

"See Rainbow Dash! They have a good reason to-" Spike began, through a mouthful of gems.

"Yeah! We'll show those Apple picking settlers whose boss!" Dash cried, taking flight and removing herself from Little Strongheart's view. Zack clapped and got to his feet.

"Go buffalo!" He called, making sure everyone could hear him. Cheers rose from all over the camp, and soon the only noise that could be heard was joy.

* * *

The next day, Zack, Little Strongheart, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie set over to Appleloosa. They found the other ponies packing up to go and find them. Twilight, when she spotted him gave Zack a small hug then a confused expression crossed her face.

"How did you escape the buffalo?" She asked, her hands on hips.

"We didn't!" Pinkie replied, sipping some leftover blue liquid. Everyone gasped (mostly for escaping the buffalo, but also for drinking the liquid).

"We, ehem, actually promised them to get a chance to talk." Rainbow Dash said, stepping forward boldly. Applejack stood forward as well, and the two faced each other.

"Oh, 'bout what then?" Applejack said, raising an eyebrow.

"We brought Little Strongheart here to explain why the trees should move off the buffalo's stampeding grounds." Rainbow Dash said, pushing the smaller girl in front of her. The smaller girl glanced at the taller orange one. Applejack stared at her with disgust, then turned back to Rainbow Dash.

"That's weird, 'cause my cousin Braeburn here is explanin' why we should let the trees stay." Applejack grabbed a light gold male, with gamboge coloured hair with amber highlights. He had a cowboy hat on his head and a matching leather vest around his chest, that covered a white v-neckline. His jeans were covered with dust and his boots matched the hat. His eyes were pistachio.

"Well.. heh.." He said, towering above Little Strongheart. The two glanced at each other. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were in an argument.

"They busted their rumps here! An' now they're supposed ta bust their rumps again, just 'cause some buffalo won't stampede someplace else?" Applejack snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, plant the trees somewhere else!" Rainbow Dash snapped back, crossing her arms. Zack stepped between them.

"Besides, I can use my powers to move the trees!" He said, his hands lighting up to accompany the scene. Applejack stared at him with horror.

"Are you crazy? That'll kill all the trees!" Applejack spat, her anger turning to the boy. Everypony else (apart from Dash) gasped.

"I'll be careful, don't you remember last time with the fight with the goblin? I can make it better, everypony-"

"No you can't! The trees will die if you pull em'! Your magic is dangerous and annoyin' anyway." Applejack replied, crossing her arms. Zack glared at her and flew over her head.

"You can't tell that! You don't know anything about my powers! I can make it right, if you just listen for once! The buffalo's own the land anyway!" He said, clenching his fists.

"Magic can't help us, Zack. You're just lucky to have 'em powers, but that doesn't mean you always have to use 'em. I think you need to listen to somepony else, for once. Besides, the settler ponies need the trees to survive." Applejack hissed, turning her back. Zack bit his lip and looked like he was about to protest.

"Okay, okay, no more arguing!" Twilight said, frantically shoving them apart. Fluttershy had jumped in Dash's arms, Little Strongheart and Braeburn had just stood there awkwardly, watching all drama and Pinkie Pie was strangely silent, making one wonder what was going on in her head. Twilight cleared her throat. "Look, both sides have good reasons to use the land. There must be something we can do."

"I have an idea! And I'll need your help, Zacky!" Pinkie said, grabbing the boy's hand. But he didn't take his glare off the orange girl until she was nothing more than a silhouette.

* * *

Zack stood behind a teal curtain on a rusty wooden stage. He felt an odd sensation of deja vu. The chitters of the audience outside made its way into his head. Ignoring them, he got out his hand, and felt it lit up with power. Applejack's voice ran through his head; Zack ignored it and made the stage lights shine brightly. Pinkie Pie emerged from a clam shell, wearing a very pretty outfit. He continued to use his powers to make lights shine and pictures of hearts appear on the walls. He even made confetti appear.

"You gotta care, you gotta share," Pinkie sang loudly, her poofy black tutu bouncing in the light. She performed a pirouette across the stage, as Spike furiously played the piano. The pink girl stood in front of the stage and took a large bow.

"Good job Pinkie!" Zack called from the backstage. He ran up and then he, Spike and Pinkie all took a bow together.

"It appears that Sheriff Silverstar and I have come to an agreement." Chief Thunderhooves said, nodding.

"We have." A smaller, grey male next to Chief Thunderhooves said. Everypony stared at them in wonder.

"That was the worst performance we have ever seen." Chief Thunderhooves said. Sheriff Silverstar nodded in agreement, and lots of the audience groaned in disappointment. The former cleared his throat. "The time for action.. Is upon us! Our stampede will start at high noon tomorrow. And if the orchard is still there, we'll flatten it.. And the whole town!" Litte Strongheart shook her head in doubt. Everyone stared at him in pure horror. Zack bit his lip and Pinkie squeaked and stared at him.

"An' we Appleloosans say you'd better bring yer best, 'cause we'll be ready and waitin'." The sheriff replied, glaring at Chief Thunderhooves. Braeburn tried to argue, but it was too late. Applejack, from the audience shook her head disapprovingly at Zack.

* * *

Appleloosans all over the town were preparing for the war. They were building large wooden borders, and making hot fresh apple pies. Zack left them and went over to the buffalo because:

-He didn't want to be with Applejack.

-He knew all the buffalo, and maybe he could convince them.

Zack went over to the buffalo with Rainbow Dash and Spike. The creatures were just as feisty as the Appleloosans; applying war paint and practicing for battle. Some of them were even kicking heavy wheat sacks. Zack approached Chief Thunderhooves.

"Look, I really don't think we should go ahead with this, and I know neither do you." He said, sitting next to the Chief.

"We have no choice, young Zack. They have taken our land." The chief replied sadly, gazing into space. "Unless you have a plan to fix everything, we must go ahead."

"I don't have a plan, but I have a feeling I will get one." Zack said, cupping his chin in his hand, and following the chief's gaze.

"Then you must come up with it soon." The chief said, getting up and leaving Zack with his thoughts. The dragon groaned, got up and left the tribe land and teleported back to Appleloosa. He watched Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy trying to talk to the Appleloosans.

"Why won't anyone be rational and reasonable?" Twilight whined, stamping her foot in the ground. Zack found his eyes dart to Applejack. Even though she hadn't spotted him yet, Zack could already see that she was thinking about him.

"Quit it," He hissed telepathically to Applejack's mind, "I'm not being irrational." The orange girl looked shocked for a moment, but soon got to her senses.

"Would you give up on that darn fight we had?" She said back, with coolness. "You're being more irrational than anypony here."

Zack scowled, "Well, thanks for that lovely compliment, and you started this by the way."

"No I did not." Applejack sternly replied. Soon the two physically stared at each other darkly. "Aren't you supposed to be stoppin' the buffalo?'

"They didn't listen, like you." Zack replied. He felt a nagging sensation that he was being a bit mean.

"That's it, this chit-chat is done." Applejack said, then Zack's head was quiet. The physical girl lowered her head and scowled. Zack felt a strange emptiness in his head. Maybe that was a good thing; a possible idea could squeeze in. But what was that emptiness? Maybe it was guilt.

* * *

The buffalo were perched at the edge of a high cliff, overlooking the town. Zack flew overhead the whole kerfuffle, staring at the many different colours of species. Weak wooden borders surrounded Appleloosa, and the ponies stood with pies at hand. The dragon boy searched the crowd for his friends; he spotted them quickly. He even saw a nervous Applejack. He assumed that she was nervous because of the war, but she was looking a poster, then she looked at him.

"You gotta care, you gotta share!" Pinkie sung loudly, dancing in front of everyone. The chief suddenly looked outraged, and the buffalo charged to the town. They broke through the borders with ease, sending brown splinters everywhere. Soon the attacking buffalo were bombarded with apple pies, knocking a few of them out. But other buffalo managed to knock a few Appleloosans out. None of the buildings were destroyed, which was possibly the only good thing. However, the Appleloosans were starting to run out of pie, and the chief was heading for the sheriff. Then Zack had an idea. He understood his problem with Applejack. He wasn't sharing and caring. He was doing the opposite. He was doing what he thought was right, but it wasn't. The Apploosans and the buffalo weren't the only ones being irrational. That was the emptiness in his head.

"STOP!" He cried. A vibrant energy escaped from him like the Sonic Rainboom and flew through the town, stopping everything. Zack had frozen time. He landed softly down in the middle of Appleloosa, where ponies and buffalo had completely stopped moving.

"I just wanted to say that.. We shouldn't be fighting like this. We're being irrational. Do we really want that? We should be friendly with each other, we need to make a compromise. Fighting is not the answer. I learnt that myself, actually," He said, staring at a frozen Applejack, "Pinkie was right. We need to share, care and compromise. We shouldn't block out each other, we should be accepting each other. I know that now. There is still a chance." Suddenly, time resumed and everything that was had frozen played out. Zack ran over to Applejack, who looked a bit dumbfounded, landing on her face.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened AJ. We were all being a bit stupid, but let's forget about it and be friends again. What do you say? You are one of my best friends after all." Zack asked with a grin. He and Applejack shook hands, but she still looked a little nervous. Zack raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"I.. I found this.." She stammered, handing Zack a poster. It was a wanted poster, but it was for him. Zack was fist punching the air in the picture, and under him was a $626,900,000,000 reward. It also said 'return to Draco.'

"Wha.." He said, staring at it with horror.

"I found it right there." Applejack said nervously, pointing to a wooden pole.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked, running over, "The Appleloosans and buffalo are compromising now, all thanks to you Zack! What are you holding.." She stared at the poster and breathed in heavily. "What.. what is this?"

"I don't know.. But I don't think it's good." Zack replied, rubbing his forehead. It felt like someone had put fluff there for no reason. He stared at the bold letters 'Phantom Dragon'. "They're coming."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I actually came up with the plot summary this time.. I hope you enjoyed!**


	11. A Bird in the Hoof

**The Phantom Dragon of Equestria: Chapter 11.**

"Now, we need everything to be perfect." Twilight said, deep in thought. She and Zack arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, where preparations were made. The whole building smelled like food. There were little decorated tables, covered with punch, cakes and.. More cakes. There were bright balloons in the corners and people everywhere. Celestia herself was sitting at the front, being served by Mr and Mrs Cake. The purple girl shifted uneasily.

"Oh.. Zack, I'm worried Princess Celestia won't approve of my friends.." Twilight said, her hair going poofy with stress and her eyes wide with fear. Zack used his powers to grab a vanilla cupcake and place it into Twilight's hand. She raised an eyebrow at it.

"I'm sure she'll love your friends. They're all different, and that's what she'll love about them." Zack said, encouraging Twilight to eat the cupcake. "Besides, she's read your letters."

"Maybe.. Thanks Zack." Twilight replied, taking a bit of the cupcake. She looked curiously at it. "Not bad. Could use more frosting." Her eyes set on Pinkie Pie, who was standing on the cake table like a wolf and took a huge bite out of a large cake. Rarity was roaming around, wearing her gala dress and complaining about everything. Applejack was at a table, trying to decide what to eat and Rainbow Dash was arguing with the guards outside. Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen. These all added up to one thing: immaturity. Twilight spat the cake out with a squeal, ran around, her forehead sweating like a waterfall. Zack groaned and face palmed himself.

"Hello Zack!" A royal voice called. Celestia, holding an overflowing cup of tea waved to him. Zack walked slowly over to her like a gentleman. The Princess smiled at him, and politely waved away Mr and Mrs Cake. She put down her tea, on a full of liquid saucer. "I heard you're fitting in well in Ponyville."

"Yeah, it's wonderful, your highness." Zack said, with a small bow. Celestia smirked brightly at him.

"I'm very glad to hear that." She paused, her brain obviously searching for something. Then it hit her. "I believe the other day you were attacked?" She asked, her face suddenly showing perplexion. Zack, remembering the fight with the horrid green creature nodded slowly. He glanced at the neurotic Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who chomping away on more cakes. It made him think of the horrible poster he saw in Appleloosa. This made him want to cry and set that Draco on fire. Celestia breathed in, zapping him out of daydreaming. "That.. creature that attacked you was the Goblin King. However, we don't know much about who he works for. All we know is that they're coming for you and the _Dragon Ruler._ " Zack let that sink in for a moment. He bit his lip and sighed. _Draco._

"Is that all you know? Is there anything _else?_ " He asked, trying to sound as nice as possible, although his brain was screaming for answers.

"We are trying to find out more, we really are. If we find out anymore, I promise I'll tell you straight away." Celestia replied, lowering her voice so others didn't hear. "Besides, this is your task as well, Zack. I want to give you an assignment. Try and find out as much as you can on these new threats. When you find something new, please let me know. Can you do that?"

"I can try." Zack answered, boldly. Although, his head churned with more thoughts. _Who were these creatures and what did they want? What were they going to do? Who were they going to attack? Who was he to trust?_ Celestia suddenly kissed the top of his head, making him blush and his brain stop churning like a washing machine.

"Uh.. Your highness, why did you kiss me?" Zack asked, grabbing his red-hot cheeks. Celestia sniggered and muttered something about him being cute when he blushed.

"Just.. I appreciate your help.." She said, with a hiss. "Don't tell Luna." Zack nodded, his face still red.

"I'm here!" A little squeaky voice cried. Fluttershy burst through the door, looking very puffed out. She was wearing her famous green dress, dotted with flowers and her hair in a neat bun.

"Fluttershy!" Celestia said, turning her focus on the yellow girl. "Just the girl I've been looking for." She signalled Fluttershy to come over. The girl slowly trotted over to the ruler, a frightful expression on her face. She looked like Celestia was about to smack her.

"I'm so sorry I'm late! I was-"

"That's okay," Celestia said, reassuring Fluttershy, who breathed out in relief, "Now, I've heard from Twilight's understanding that you enjoy tending to the needs of woodland creatures."

"Yes, I love to take care of animals."

"As I do. As Princess, I care deeply about all creatures, great and small." She was interrupted by a hacking cough from behind her. "Nothing means more to me than the well-being of my subjects." Suddenly, another large cough went through the air. A blanket fell of a wired cage, revealing a bald bird with coral, naked, rough skin and poking feathers. The bird had weak legs and squawked uneasily. Celestia beamed at it. "Ah, Philomena, my pet. Do say hello to our guests." The bird coughed and hacked nosily.

"Oh….My.." Fluttershy said, completely speechless. Zack raised an eyebrow at it; that thing was the princess' pet?

"She is quite a sight, isn't she?" Celestia said, staring at Fluttershy's shocked expression. The yellow nodded quickly, a few pieces from her bun coming undone. The bird made another rattling cough, making Zack cringe. Suddenly, a guard ran up to the Princess and whispered something in her ear. Zack watched her face changed from happy, to concerned, to sad. She got to her feet and sighed. "Really? If I must.. Thank you for the wonderful party, but I have to go early. The mayor has requested an audience with me. It's been a joy to get to know you all better!" Everyone watched her leave, before puffing a breath of relief (especially Twilight), who dipped her face into a chocolate waterfall.

"Finally, I can eat real food again!" Applejack cried, stuffing her face with a big cake, throwing manners out the window. Rainbow Dash was inside now as she had got bored of the guards. Suddenly Zack felt a light tapping on his shoulder and he saw Fluttershy, who was bopped down a little bit, trying to make herself smaller.

"Um.. Zack?" She asked, with fear in her voice.

"Yeah?" Zack replied, with mixed feelings. His head was all over the place; thoughts were travelling like bullets being fired from a gun. There were thoughts about Draco, his bounty, chocolate cake and other crazy things. Fluttershy's soft voice directed him back to the now.

"Could you.. Uh.. help me with my plan?" She asked. Zack raised an eyebrow.

* * *

The two, James Bond style sneaked into Fluttershy's cottage, Zack clutching Philomena's cage tightly in his hands. He put the cage down on the floor, and Fluttershy opened the little golden door, revealing the bird swinging on a little bird swing. She allowed Philomena to perch onto her arm, and she gave her a little ride to the window sill. The bird coughed nosily, scaring away some of the little animals and making Zack wince.

"Are you sure it was okay not to ask Celestia?" Zack asked, as Fluttershy came in with a bowl of green soup, which reminded Zack of that old canned soup his dad used to buy him for dinner. It didn't taste very nice at all.

"It's only for a little while.. Just until Philomena gets better.." Fluttershy said, offering the soup to the bird. She turned her head away from it, making Fluttershy sigh. The yellow person grabbed a thermometer and plopped into Philomena's beak. The red meter went up so high it actually exploded the thermometer, giving Fluttershy a little jump scare. She one breathed in slowly, ready to try again.

After trying singing with a former patient, covering her with ointment and giving the bird a tablet, nothing was working. In fact, Philomena was getting worse. Fluttershy sighed and slumped down on her couch. Zack sat next to her, feeling her struggles reflect on her face.

"Zack.. I don't think I can do anything else for her. She just.. Won't get better.." The yellow girl said, glancing at Philomena. She screeched, and went a shade paler and lost a feather. Zack curiously went over to the bird and stared into her eyes. He could feel her squeals forming into words, and he started to make out a message. Fluttershy looked at him in awe.

"She says that she doesn't belong here," Zack said, listening for more talk. "She wants to leave and go with her owner, as her 'time has come'."

"What does she mean, 'her time has come'?" Fluttershy questioned, biting her lip. Zack gestured Philomena to continue.

"Her _'time for ashes'_." Zack said, intrigued to hear more. The bird's tone was suddenly becoming more silly, making him unsure and suspicious. "She says that she is going to burn away." Fluttershy squealed and fell off her couch, and Zack could hear the bird make an amused sound. The dragon boy scowled at the squawking bird. The yellow girl got up with a blast.

"We need to stop this 'burning away'!" She cried, filling a bath up with hot water. She put the bird in, but she just puffed up like a marshmallow, taking in all the water, like a sponge. Fluttershy grabbed a large towel and wrapped Philomena furiously, drying her to a crisp. She covered her in ointment, duct tape and anything she could think of to keep her remaining feathers. When she was done, Philomena looked like a mummy with acne.

"I hope this works.." Fluttershy said, biting her nails. The bird coughed nosily, trying to peck off the tape. Then Fluttershy's eyes flashed with an idea. "Zack! You can heal things, right?"

"Uh.. Yes?" Zack replied. Then suddenly, the idea got into his head too.

"Maybe you could.. Possibly _heal_ Philomena?" She said, looking at him with big, wet puppy eyes.

"I could try.." The boy said. A nagging feeling told him that this _might not work_ the way everyone wanted it to. Regardless, he felt his head light up with a fuzzy energy; streams of magic floated from his body and whipped around the bird, making her glow a pale gold. There was a bright flash of light, forcing Zack and Fluttershy to close their eyes and look away. They both stared at Philomena, who looked worse than ever. The healing had been flushed down the toilet.

"Oh no!" Fluttershy squealed, her eyes filling with horror and grabbing Zack's arm. The bird squawked uneasily and tilted her head to the side. Her bulgy eyes caught the sight of a open window, and she jumped through.

"No!" Zack and Fluttershy cried together, as the bird zoomed off. They heard a noise behind them.

"Hello guys, I just wanted to thank you on your wonderful presence today… Are you okay?" Twilight said, coming into the house **(uninvited, bad Twily)** and glancing at their horror filled expressions. Fluttershy sniffed into Zack's arm, making Twilight twitch slightly.

* * *

"Philomena!" Called Twilight, as the three of them ran through Ponyville. She stopped to gasp and breathe. "We have to find her before the guards, or you are so in _trouble_!" She pointed at Zack and Fluttershy, who shrugged at each other. The purple one groaned and spoke again. "Maybe we should split up, so it's easier to find Philomena."

"Good idea, Twi," Zack stated, with a wink, "Me and Fluttershy will search the east side, you can search the west."

"Okay.." Twilight said, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Meet you back at the waterfall. If you find her, send a sign." She said, jogging off. Zack grabbed Fluttershy's arm, and the two walked through a bustling market place.

"Oh Zack.." Fluttershy whined, trailing behind him. She nervously eyed a pony buying a large pink wig. "What are we going to do if we get caught?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Fluttershy."

"But Twilight said-"

"Twilight overreacts about things." Zack said, with a smile. "It'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"You can _trust_ me." The dragon boy raised his nose. "I can sniff out that bird. Come." He said, sniffing around. He instantly picked up the scent of the bird, and picked up his pace. A few people at the market place cheered at him, calling him their 'hero.' Fluttershy trailed after Zack, as he got closer to the source of the scent. He zoomed through the town, his nose taking him to a fountain. Philomena was perched on the bowl of a water, making a ballerina pose, over the edge.

"Philomena," Fluttershy cried, "Get down from there!" The bird obeyed, but not in a everyone expected. The bird fell down off the rim of the bowl at high speeds. Fluttershy squealed and ran over to catch her, extending out her hands. Philomena burst into flame with a fiery explosion; ashes rained down into Fluttershy's hands. The yellow girl, with bulging tears fell onto her knees and began to weep. The tears were filled with shock and the feeling of failure. She had not only taken Celestia's bird; _she had ruined it._

"It's okay Fluttershy," Zack whispered, kneeling next to her, " _It's okay._ "

"But.. The princess!" She whimpered back. Zack rubbed her back softly.

"I'm sure she'll understand it was an accident." The dragon boy said comfortingly. A nagging thought appeared in his brain. There will be much worse than a exploding bird to come.. Fluttershy cried into Zack's shoulder, and he put his arm over her shoulder.

"I saw an explosion! Did you find Philomena?" Twilight called from behind them. She panted for a few moments and allowed her hands to rest by her side. Her eyebrow raised when she saw the two mourning together. Then she saw the ashes of the bird.

"No.." The purple girl breathed, her face splitting into fright. Then a shadow appeared before all three of them, belonging to the one and only Princess Celestia. Fluttershy, blubbering held up the ashes to the princess and the words 'sorry' came out in a mix of emotions. She placed the smokey ashes on the ground with a sigh.

"Princess, it was an accident, _really.._ " Zack began. Twilight interrupted him.

"They didn't mean it! They were only trying to help fix the bird so please don't punish them!" The purple girl squeaked frantically, standing in front of Zack and Fluttershy like they were her children. Celestia kneeled down at the ashes and grinned.

"Oh, stop scaring everyone Philomena!" She laughed, getting looks of confusion from the others. Suddenly, the ashes swirled like a tornado and formed into a gleaming bird. It looked like it was made with fire and it shone like the sun itself. The beams seemed to shine all over Ponyville, attracting a crowd. Rainbow Dash flew over from flying in the sky and Pinkie came from Sugar Cube Corner. Rarity, who was trying to get Applejack to enjoy shopping also came over, along with said earth pony. Everyone took a few moments to stare at the bird.

"What.." Fluttershy said, flabbergasted. Zack stared at in awe and was replicated by Twilight. Even the guards were astounded.

"Philomena is a phoenix. A phoenix is a magical and majestic bird. While it appears happy and healthy most of the time, every so often it must renew itself by shedding all of it's feathers and bursting into flame. It then rises from the ashes, as fresh as a daisy," Celestia said. She lowered her voice suddenly. "A little dramatic if you ask me." Her voice was loud and clear again. "It's just all part of the life cycle of a phoenix. But Philomena took the chance to have a little fun with you two." She turned to the phoenix with a scowl. "Say you're sorry, young lady." Philomena squawked what sounded like an apology to the dragon and the yellow girl. In said boy's head, it was a definite sorry in English. Fluttershy bit her lip.

"So.. you're not going to banish us far away in a dungeon to the place you banish us to?" The girl asked, gesturing to her and Zack. Celestia chuckled and shook her grand head.

"No, my child. Where did you ever come up with such an idea?" The royal asked. Twilight blushed in the background, and Zack rolled his eyes at her. Celestia cleared her throat. "But it was not a good idea to take Philomena without asking. So next time you will remember.."

"..to always ask before taking something that isn't mine." Fluttershy and Zack said together, with a smile. Celestia nodded proudly, then proceeded to walk off with her guards.

"Well, my young ones, I must go now. I am required at Canterlot." The princess said, disappearing in the distance. Before she left, Rainbow Dash had a wing bump with Philomena before she left, along with Zack. The bird was almost as big as him.

"Wowza. Didn't know such birds existed." Applejack commented, watching the bird fly off with her owner. She could still catch her glow in the distance.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool." Rainbow Dash said, sniggering at the guards as they trotted away.

"I could make a dress inspired off phoenix patterns. I'll call it my 'light up' range!" Rarity exclaimed, making a pose. Dash and Applejack burst into laughter. Zack would laugh with them, but he had spotted something on the wall of a house. He moved towards it, blocking out all other sounds. His face showed a stern expression, so anyone in the way would jump out. There, on the wall was a poster for his bounty. Just like the one in Appleloosa.

"What is it?" Twilight asked, coming behind him. Zack ripped the poster off the wall and shoved it into Twilight's hands. She gasped and looked up at him.

"What's the whoopie?" Dash lazily asked. The rest of the mane 6 stared at the boy with concern and fear, as he looked pretty mad. As for Twilight, her face looked quite drained and afraid. She showed them all the poster, and each one squeaked as they stared at it. Zack angrily crossed his arms. He stared at the poster, almost blinded by rage. It made him look like a criminal. In Appleloosa, a few on the residents had seen it and were scared of him and thought he was bad. He looked at his face and the words on the poster.

"Are you okay?" Twilight asked kindly. Fluttershy took a few steps over to him and gently touched his shoulder. Suddenly his head burst into flame, causing the yellow one to scream. Twilight caught her and the two stood back. Zack stomped the ground in anger, making it shake like his emotions. The fire coming from his head sent little sparks flying everywhere, making his stomping look more terrifying. All the girls could do was watch in horror and surprise.

"Now that's something you should put in your 'light up' range." Dash whispered to Rarity, who laughed with perplexion. Pinkie Pie ran over to Zack and put a large bucket of cold water on his head. He stopped stomping the ground and the fire turned to faint smoke.

"Thanks Pink." He said, squeezing some water out of his hair. He turned to the girls, who were completely flabbergasted. "Oh.."

"Um.." Fluttershy mumbled, stepping forward slowly. She stood in front of him and spoke in a low voice. "I'm so sorry those horrible villains put that bounty over your head. You don't deserve a bounty."

"It's okay." Zack whispered, in a comforting tone. "It's fine." Fluttershy suddenly gave him a surprise hug, making the other girls twitch. He hugged her back for a bit, then let go.

"Maybe.. If you didn't mind… we could _hang out?_ " She asked quietly, stepping back.

"That sounds okay." Zack said, making everyone else (especially Twilight) teem with jealousy.

"You do that then.." The purple girl muttered, with agitation. "After _everything_ I've done.. There goes my plan of our evening.. In the library.. _just us.._ " She watched the two leave in the distance, clutching the poster.

 **Thanks for reading!**


	12. The Cutie Mark Chronicles

**The Phantom Dragon- Chapter 12- The Cutie Mark Chronicles.**

The sun rose over Equestria, its bright beams shining in every window. Zack woke up with the sun in his face and stared out his window, watching people get up and performing morning chores. He heard shuffling downstairs, recognising them as Twilight's little feet padding across the floor. He went downstairs and saw Twilight grabbing books. She put them around a little wooden desk, covered with parchment and a little ink jar. One of the books was wide open, and she scribbled things down on the parchment.

"Hey Twilight!" Zack said, with a big grin. She didn't reply, she just keep writing things down, the pen scratching not even bothering her. Zack raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just fine." She heftily answered, reading another book. Her face was stern and serious, as if all the joy had been washed away and was never going to return. The pen, covered her magic kept writing things down.

"Um.. what are you doing? Want some help?" Zack asked kindly, standing behind her.

"Studying. No." Twilight answered, her writing becoming faster and blotchier. Zack breathed in.

"Twilight.. If there's something you want to talk about I'm-"

"NO." Twilight interrupted. The ink bottle exploded, creating a pool of ink all over her parchment, some even landing on her hand. But Twilight didn't seem bothered by this. She simply picked up all her books, untouched parchment and quills and stormed out of the room. She slammed the door behind her, leaving Zack on his own in the library. He stood there in shock, his arms by his side.

Sighing, Zack trudged up the stairs in front of Twilight's bedroom door. He could almost hear her muttering and her pen scratching along a piece of parchment. His knuckles banged against the door, making a little rhythmic pattern.

"If it's Spike, go and clean the floor. If it's Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie, knock on the door three times then wait for me. If it's.. Zack, GO AWAY." Her voice said, through the door, the last two words in a grouchy tone.

"Twilight.. Please." Zack begged kindly. The girl snorted from the inside and Zack saw her magic lock the door with a click. Then he got an idea.. It was a bit mean, but it might be the only way to talk to her. He imitated his steps, walking away, then made some sound effects of someone coming in the library and walking up the stairs, making sure it was slow enough to be believable. He knocked on Twilight's door again. She said the same dialogue as before, except this time Zack knocked on the door three times.

"Who is it?" Twilight asked, her voice a bit lighter. Zack tapped his throat and made his voice change.

"It's Applejack." He said, using the farm girl's voice. He heard Twilight sigh with relief.

"I'll be there in second." She said from inside. There was some shuffling within the room, then the door unlocked and the door opened. She glared and scowled when she saw who was outside. "Did you seriously trick me?"

"Twilight. We need to talk; something's wrong." Zack said, sympathy and confusion in his eyes. Twilight turned away for a second, having a mental argument with herself. She gritted her teeth and faced Zack.

"Fine." She said, letting Zack into her bedroom. There were books, parchment paper in piles and little pots of ink. It was neat but the friendless had gone and been replaced with suspicion. It made Zack think of the time when he went with his father to prison to be investigated for drugs. Twilight stood there, with her arms crossed.

"Hello Zack," She said, her glare hardening, "How are you? Fine? I thought so. Boy have I got a lot to say to you. Firstly, how dare you ditch our library evening so you could go with Fluttershy! I had everything planned and I spent the whole day planning for that event and I was so excited but then you went off with Fluttershy and made my efforts nothing and I was all alone that night with my books when we had plans and it was going to be fun but then you go and abandoned me like it was nothing and you didn't even _care_!"

"Woah.." Zack said, holding out his hands in front of her, "Relax, Twi."

"Relax? _RELAX?!_ Is that all you have to say?" Spat Twilight, crossing her arms. Zack breathed in.

"Look, Twilight. I didn't realize how hard you had worked that night. I only went with Fluttershy because the day had affected her and she needed a friend to be with her," He said, standing next to her, "I didn't realize how much it would affect you. And for that, I'm really, really sorry." Twilight crossed her arms and walked over to the wall, blankly staring at it.

Zack sighed, "Oh Twilight come, you're my friend. You're the one who accepted me first. You let me stay in your house and you've given me so much compared with I've given to you. If it wasn't for you, I'd be sleeping on the streets. Now I just want one more thing from you: your forgiveness," He looked at her desperately, "I was wrong when I said you were my friend; you are my best friend." She looked back at him with sympathetic eyes.

"You already were." She said, giving him a hug. He hugged her back and they remained that way for a few minutes. Then she pushed him away with a cheeky grin. "But.. there is something else that I want to make sure we're completely even." Zack raised his eyebrows.

* * *

The two walked through Ponyville, side by side, the sun shining upon them.

"Hey.. Look, I'm sorry I treated you badly in the morning.. I just got a bit upset.." She said, biting her lip. Zack patted her shoulders.

"It's okay Twi, besides, now we can forgive each other by eating at that restaurant," He replied, beaming at her. "I haven't been to many restaurants. My dad never let me go to any."

"Then this will be very exciting for you." Twilight said, as they arrived at the front of the restaurant. A waiter brought them to a table for two. The table looked like a large, red spotty mushroom and had seats made out of hay, mirroring each other. Zack sat down on side and Twilight on the other. The waiter handed them two menus.

"Well, when I come with Spike he usually wants gems, but they don't have them here so he gets hay fries. Do you want me to order that for you?" Twilight offered, showing him the menu. He picked it up and saw lots of interesting foods that he wouldn't even thought of eating.

"Hm.. yeah, I've never tried them so go for it." He said, as the waiter came over. Twilight ordered the food, and the posh waiter trotted away.

"Hay fries are nice. I'm sure you'll like them," Twilight said, putting her head in her palm and leaning her elbow on the table, "They're much nicer than the ones they had in Canterlot."

"In Canterlot?" Zack questioned. He didn't really know a lot about Canterlot apart from that it was where the Princesses lived. Twilight nodded.

"Yep. Believe or not I used to live in Canterlot. I moved to Ponyville after Princess Celestia assigned me to make friends and study the magic of Friendship. I write letters to her about my discoveries," She said, tracing back to when she lived in Canterlot, "I still miss Canterlot sometimes, as it's where my family is, but Ponyville is my home and where my friends are, like you. The only thing I brought with me other than myself to Ponyville was Spike. He's been there the whole time," Zack nodded, taking in her story.

She went on, "Since I was a young filly, I've always had an affiliation with studying and learning. I always thought friendship was a waste of time when I could be learning about the land I live in. I suppose I was wrong," She said with a chuckle. Then she looked at Zack. "You never really talk about where you came from. I mean, you just showed up at my library one day, unconscious. Where are you from?"

"Well," Zack said, thinking back to his old world. His family, his house, Hope. He still remembered Hope, and often wondered how she was surviving. "I come from a place called Planet Earth. Earth is really different to this world. There is no magic, no flying, no ponies but there are horses, no dragons.. It's really boring and bland compared to Equestria. But we had things like electricity, power cords.. And things you don't have here. There are also no princesses who raise the sun and moon." He looked at Twilight, who was taking notes with confusion.

"Sorry, it's a bit confusing." She said, scribbling things down. Zack laughed.

"Imagine Equestria, now take away all the magic and ponies," He said, gesturing with his hands, "Take away the dragons and all the colourful buildings and the dirt ground. Replace it with cement and imagine large, grey buildings made out of glass." Twilight wrote this all down and asked him to go on. "Okay, now put some clouds in the sky and street lights. Imagine big factories puffing out smoke and brick houses."

"I think that's enough description, but I must ask. Who controls the weather and raises the sun and moon?" Twilight questioned, tapping her chin. Zack racked his brain for the answer.

"The weather is controlled by wind and climate changes, which is made by the Earth's surface heating or something. The sun and moon don't raise at all, it's when our planet rotates around to them." Zack answered, picturing his old world. Earth was rotating around the sun like a bullet. He could almost see his house, with his father, sitting on the couch and watching T.V. Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"So, what did you do on.. Earth?" She asked, tapping her pen on the table. Thoughts zoomed through Zack's head like bullets.

"Well, I went to school and lived with my family. I had a very good friend called Hope, who I usually did homework with. My mother was very nice, but my father was horrible. He abused and treated me like dirt. He is one thing I definitely won't miss from Earth," Zack shuddered at the thought of his father. But at the same time it felt weird; he hadn't seen his wretched face for a while. He went on.

"There were bits and pieces of Earth I'll miss, but I can see now that Equestria is my home, especially with that Draco running around. Equestria needs the Phantom Dragon." Twilight nodded in agreement. Zack cleared his throat. "I haven't told you this, but Celestia gave me an assignment. An assignment to discover everything I know on Draco and his workers. And I don't think I'll be able to do it alone," He took a breath, "Will you help me?"

"Say the word 'assignment' and I'll be right by your side." Twilight said with a wink. The waiter returned and placed a hot bowl of hay fries and a sandwich on the table. Twilight picked up her sandwich and took a bite, enjoying the taste. "Mmm.. Amazing as always!" Zack nervously picked up a hay fry and ate it. It was like eating fried wheat bran. It wasn't that bad in Zack's opinion, although he preferred the potato fries from Earth.

"Hey Zack!" A young voice called. A scooter with the CMC on it stood a few meters away, with big smiles on their faces. Scootaloo stood proudly on her little scooter, while the other two waved from their little red wagon connected to it. "Wanna come with us to hear Cutie Mark stories?"

"We're visiting Rainbow Dash to hear her awesome story!" Scootaloo cried, flapping her little wings.

"Hm.. I'm not sure if he should.." Twilight said, poking at her sandwich, mentally growling at them for interrupting their lunch.

"Please Zack?" The CMC all begged together, with little puppy eyes and smushed up lips. Zack glanced at Twilight with a 'come on' look. She sighed.

"All right, you can go with them," She said, shaking her head with a smile. Zack bent his knees to stand, when suddenly Twilight grabbed his arm and stared at the fillies, "If you all listen to my cutie mark story." She gestured the CMC forward, causing Scootaloo to groan.

"But what about Rainbow Dash!" She cried, scowling and snorting through her nostril. Apple Bloom grabbed her arm and led her to the table. Twilight cleared her throat and stood up. She turned into a unicorn and showed everyone her cutie mark.

"Even when I was a filly, I had a knack for magic.." She explained, telling the story of her cutie mark **(go and watch the episode if you want to see the stories. I'm too lazy to write them)**. Her story was interesting, according to Zack, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Scootaloo just wanted to see Rainbow Dash. Around the end of the story, Twilight was jumping around like a little bunny.

"Come on." Whispered Scootaloo, leading herself, her friends and Zack away from the bouncing Twilight. Scootaloo got onto her scooter, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle got in the red wagon in the back. The fillies made Zack come in the back too, although he was reluctant. He leaned at the back of the wagon, taking up most of the room while the little girls were at the front.

"FULL STEAM AHEAD!" Called Sweetie Belle, as Scootaloo pulled them through Ponyville. Zack used his powers to make the wagon much lighter and easier for Scootaloo to pull.

"What have you being doing today, Zack?" Asked Applebloom, looking at the dragon boy.

"Oh, I've been at a restaurant, doing my thing," He answered, with a grin, "What about you?"

"We've been ziplining, until we decided to hear about how Rainbow Dash got her cutie mark, so we can learn how to get ours!" Apple Bloom answered, looking at her quick moving surroundings and other ponies.

"Do you have a cutie mark?" Sweetie Belle asked, staring at Zack with cute little eyes. Zack shook his head.

"I'm not a pony, so I can't get a cutie mark." He answered, shrugging at the filles. By then, they had travelled into a part of a forest. A few little bunnies hopped in front of them, causing the girls to scream. Zack used his magic to stop the wagon before they could crush the bunnies.

"Come here, you thevin' varmits!" An angry orange girl cried, stepping in front of them; the little bunnies hopping around. She turned to the fillies, who were still panting. Zack took flight and levitated above the wagon, staring at the orange girl. Apple Bloom beamed at her older sister.

"Howdy Applejack! We're hearing Dash's cutie mark story. Hey, maybe you could tell us yours!" Apple Bloom said, her eyes lighting up in joy. Scootaloo looked quite shocked on the other hand. The orange girl turned into a pony and showed everyone her mark.

"Oh shucks, well, it was when I was a little little filly.." She explained, telling the story. Everyone but Scootaloo listened, while Zack sat on the ground crossed legged, quite fascinated. When she was finished, Scootaloo breathed out in relief.

"Woah.. I didn't know you had a city like that!" The dragon boy breathed, as Applejack nodded.

"I'll have to you so photos sometime, Zack," She said with a smile. Her smile faded when she saw a bunny holding one of her apples, "THEVIN' VARMINTS!" She swiped at the bunny angrily and disappeared into the bushes.

"Anyways, we better get looking for Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo said, as everyone got back into the wagon. It zoomed off, through the town, Sweetie Belle reaching out to touch bushes. As they traveled, Apple Bloom told Zack the story of how the CMC formed.

"Yeah, so she was bullying me and then-" She was interrupted by a high pitched scream from in front of them. Once again, Scootaloo was forced to stop the wagon with help from Zack's powers. Fluttershy was in front of them, leading ducklings across the road. She gasped and looked up at them.

"You should really be more careful. Somepony could get hurt. Why are you in such a hurry anyway?" She looked at the CMC, then at Zack, "Oh, hi Zack."

"We're trying to find Rainbow Dash, so we can hear her cutie mark story," Scootaloo said, gripping the handle bars, as if she was ready to go. Fluttershy's eyes filled with memories.

"Oh, that would be interesting. You know, I wouldn't of gotten my cutie mark if it wasn't for her."

"Rainbow Dash?! Really?!"

"Oh yes. It all started at Flight Camp.." Fluttershy told her story about her cutie mark, which almost made Zack angry at certain parts. As usual, Scootaloo was bored to death.

"Wow, that story was kind of depressing and cheesy at the same time." Zack said, smiling at Fluttershy, who smiled back.

"Zack could not be more right. Come on, let's go; I can't take anymore singing." Scootaloo said, everyone getting snug in the wagon. Sweetie Belle waved to Fluttershy and the yellow girl waved back. The scooter zoomed off, letting the wind flow in Zack's hair.

"Hey! Why don't we visit Rarity next? Maybe she'll know where Dash is!" Sweetie Belle suggested.

"If you say so," Scootaloo said, her scooter picking up full speed.

"Now, where was I with our story.." Apple Bloom said to Zack, as they rode through the town. They eventually ended at Rarity's house, who was overjoyed to see Zack. The fillies got to help Rarity measure things, while the unicorn tried to get Zack to try on a bunch of different hats.

"How did we get roped into this? Oh, we'll never hear Rainbow Dash's story." Groaned Scootaloo, as she held out a piece of shiny blue fabric. Zack tried on a large bowling hat, while making a pose.

"Are you girls still obsessing over your cutie marks?" Rarity asked to the filles, who were measuring different fabrics, all different colours.

"Always have, always will." Scootaloo replied, folding up a piece of yellow cloth.

"Mmm.. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out why I didn't have mine.." Rarity said, popping a straw hat on Zack's head, which reminded him of the hay fries. She explained her cutie mark story, making Zack think. All of the girls so far had a sonic rainboom in their story.. _What did it mean?_ Scootaloo interrupted his thoughts.

"That was nice, but we need a killer story, my friends! We need action, we need Rainbow Dash!" The orange girl said, getting the 4 of them to leave. The wagon became a lot more crowded, as Rarity had given Zack all the hats, and there were a lot of hats. He gave the hats to the girls. Apple Bloom put on a straw hat and Sweetie Bell put on a fedora.

"Now we can have a hat party!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, then gasped, "Maybe we'll get a cutie mark for hat-wearing!"

"That could be a possibility.." Zack said, wearing a baseball cap with a goofy grin. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom laughed.

"Shh! I'm trying to find Rainbow Dash and drive at the same time!" Hissed Scootaloo from the front, a scowl on her face.

"You're looking for Rainbow Dash? If I was her I'd be at Sugarcube Corner." Pinkie Pie said, suddenly in Zack's lap. The filles stared at her and she laughed and pinched Zack's cheeks, "Nice to see you, Zacky! Anyways, are you four heading to Sugarcube Corner? Because if I was anypony, I'd want to go there. Hey, here's an idea: let's go to Sugarcube Corner!"

"Well, we're sort of looking for Rainbow Dash so we can hear her cutie mark story." Sweetie Belle said, trying not to fall out of the wagon as there wasn't much room. Zack grabbed her arm to make sure this didn't happen. If it wasn't for Zack's spell, one would wonder how Scootaloo could tow all 4 of them, including the hats.

"Cutie mark story? Come with me and I'll tell you how I got mine!" Pinkie cried, causing Scootaloo to sigh in defeat, but nod for her to continue. "All right! Me and my sisters were raised on a rock farm.." They all listened to her story, Scootaloo getting more bored by the second. Zack was utterly surprised to find out such a happy pony came from a rock farm. By the time she had finished her story, the group had arrived at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie laughed and bounded off onto the stairs.

"And that's how Equestria was made!" The CMC and Zack glanced at each other, while Pinkie grinned, "On the way back I'll tell you the story of how I got my cutie mark! It's a gem!" She grabbed Zack's arm and pulled him into the bakery, while the CMC followed behind. Inside, all the girls, including Rainbow Dash stood boldly.

"I hear you're looking for my cutie mark story." The blue pegasus said, her arm leaning on the desk of the bakery. She smiled at the CMC like they were her fan club.

"Oh, you have no idea what I've been through to hear that story.." Scootaloo breathed, smiling for the first time in the day. Zack went over and stood next to the mane 6, as Rainbow Dash told her tale of her cutie mark. By the end, Scootaloo was quite awe-struck. Then all the mane 6 realized something.

"Hey.. I saw a sonic rainboom leadin' me back home. I think that was your sonic rainboom!"

"I saw a sonic rainboom that scared away the animals. That must of been your sonic rainboom. You helped me get my cutie mark, Dash!"

"I saw a sonic rainboom break open the rock. I think you helped me too, Dash!"

"Same with me!"

"WHAT! ME TOO!"

Zack smiled as the girls called a big group hug, sending out their rays of happiness. Pinkie pulled Zack into too, so he was 'feeling the love'.

"Aww!" Squeaked Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, love in their eyes.

"Ew!" Snorted Scootaloo, gagging to herself. Everypony laughed and enjoyed the feeling.

"Hey! How about a song?" Fluttershy asked, and everypony cheered (except Zack, who wasn't the biggest fan of singing). Scootaloo agreed with him in a much more aggressive way.

"NOOOOO!" She bellowed, waving her arms. Zack chuckled and patted her little head.

* * *

"Oh, you are too nice Zack!" Twilight said, as he lead the mane 6 out. He was going to take all of them to the restaurant for a dine out.

"Yeah, you really don't have to.." Applejack said, staring at the blushing and skipping Rarity. Zack just laughed.

"It's my pleasure, honestly. You've done too much for me." He said to the girls, with a big grin. Suddenly, the ground started to shake and running noises could be heard all around. Dust rose up from the ground, causing people to cough and splutter.

"Hello lizard breath, remember me?" A familiar voice boomed from in front of Zack. It was the Goblin King, with an army of 26 ugly goblins behind him. The dragon boy scowled and clenched his fists, as the goblin laughed. "I'm back for you and your bounty!" He waved his arms in the air, and the goblin arm split up into different directions, breaking to people's houses and harming innocent. They smashed the walls and chucked young fillies into the ground, breaking their bones. One of the goblins held Sweetie Belle in his disgusting hand.

"SWEETIE BELLE!" Screamed Rarity, as the little filly cried out for mercy. But the goblin just started crushing her, causing her to suffocate. Zack took flight and zoomed up at the goblin, shooting a bolt of fire at it's hand. It squealed and dropped the panting filly, who was struggling for life. Her face was pale and weak. Rarity had never looked so mad in all her life. She turned to the goblin. "COME HERE, YOU.. YOU _BRUTE!_ " She ran over to the goblin and started tackling it like a madman.

Zack picked up the unconscious Sweetie Belle and handed her to a medical person on standby. He flew into the sky and started rapid firing fire at the goblins, then picking them up with his powers. The goblins tried shooting at him, but he managed to dodge them and grasp them tighter. They screamed as he took them into the sky with him, taking them into the Everfree Forest. He flew back to the mane 6 and ordered them to deal with the goblins.

"AHH! Help! This girl is crazy!" The goblin cried, being chased by a furious Rarity, who was shooting bolts at it. She ran off with the other mane 6 to deal with the goblin army. Zack faced the goblin king, who smiled wickedly.

"I don't except you've gotten any better since our last encounter, dragon boy." He hissed, wagging his green finger at Zack. He launched his whole fist into Zack's face, sending him into the ground. The dragon tried to get up, but the Goblin King turned his own fist into a ball and smashed it down onto Zack's chest, forcing pain into his body. Before he could repeat the action, Zack rolled out of the way and got to his shaky feet. The Goblin King smirked. "It looks like I was right. Now be a good little boy and hand yourself over."

Zack scowled and flew over to punch him, but the Goblin King dodged out of the way and grabbed his tail. The dragon tried to break free, but the grip was too tight on his tail. The Goblin king swung him side to side, smashing him into the ground. He finally chucked him to the side and laughed. "This just keeps getting better! Let's see how much more you can take."

"Zack!" Twilight called from 10 feet away. The Goblin King turned to her and smiled and she faced back with anger. "Stop hurting my friend!"

"Oh, he's not the one going to be hurt, sweetheart," He said, grabbing her body in his thick hands. She squealed and tried to break free, but his grip just tightened. The Goblin turned to Zack, who was getting up and rubbing his sore head. "Lizard boy! I'll make you a deal. I'll give you back your girlfriend if you hand yourself over." Twilight struggled and banged her fists against his hand.

"Don't do it, Zack!" She said, trying to break free. She turned into a unicorn and tried to teleport out, but the goblin beast smacked her in the head, making her dizzy and pass out.

"Twilight!" Zack gasped, his eyes full of horror. He needed to know if she was okay. If she would make it. He tried to fly up to see if she was okay, but the Goblin King shot a blast of explosive fire. Zack braced for impact, but a faint purple shield surrounded his body. A weak Twilight nodded at him; casting that spell was taking her energy. The dragon was overjoyed and shocked at the same time to see that she was okay.

"Adorable, really, but I don't have time for this," Hissed the Goblin King, smacking Twilight in the head again. She cried out in pain. Her screams made Zack's body overflow with undeniable rage. His body had become overloaded with anger and fell to the floor. He felt his control loosen and his head pounded with anger. When he got to his feet again, he had a different appearance.

He was his ghost form, but his eyes were pitch black with glowing red irises, making everyone shiver. But what really made them freaked out was his tail and wings were nothing but bones.

The Goblin King was so shocked that he dropped Twilight, who was rescued by a returning Applejack. She dragged Twilight off to the side, where the other mane 6 were, covered in bruises and cuts, but alive. They all gasped in horror at the sight of the new Zack, who seemed to have lost of all his friendliness. Zack turned to the shocked Goblin King and snarled. The green creature quickly ran towards Zack, his fist out ready. It slammed into Zack's chest, but it inflicted no damage. The Goblin King raised an eyebrow and attempted to use his exploding fire, but nothing happened Zack.

The dragon boy flew into the air and let out a blast of blue fire, which was much hotter than normal fire. It burned half the Goblin King, making him charcoal. Zack put on a scary grin and glared at the goblin.

"You can't get me, ugly snot!" He jeered, blowing a raspberry, "Too quick for you!"

The green beast scowled and raised his green, floppy arms and called out for three Goblin army members, who had been hiding to avoid the mane 6. They charged towards Zack, but the dragon was so fast that he was able to avoid them. He did lots of kicking to them, then he furiously sliced them with his claws and slammed them into the ground with his tentacles. The more damage they got, the more possed Zack became. Once they were lying on the floor, bleeding, He faced the Goblin King with a dangerous grin. The mane 6 gasped again, Pinkie Pie in Applejack's arms.

"What are you waiting for, ugly?" He asked, gesturing the goblin forward.

The Goblin King charged towards Zack, using his speed, but his contact was intangible. He zoomed right past the dragon, giving his back a clear shot for Zack. The energy beam from the dragon blasted right into his back, making him squeal. The weaker Goblin King got up and attempted once more to punch him, but still nothing happened. He panted.

"Alright, give me your best shot." He breathed, panting. Zack titled his head, then raised his fist and furiously punched the Goblin in the jaw, almost breaking it and sending him flying. The mane 6 gasped again, their voices saying a strained 'no'. The Goblin King flew into a rock, almost crushing it with the force he had flown into it with. The weak green thing got up, staring at the dragon boy who had given him an uppercut, who was floating near him. "You better back off, lizard brat!" Zack smiled dangerously, as he hovered slightly above the goblin.

"You wanna see something really scary?" He hissed, facing his back to the Goblin King. He grabbed the skin off his torso and pulled it up (hold your butts), opening his rib cage like a actual gate, revealing a bunch of tentacles waving around, coloured black and white. The noise from it was a ear-shattering screeching sound, making the Goblin King go pale and jump back, with a face of fear. Zack made a scary grin. "Oh.. now don't tell me you're afraid of a ghost goby! BOO!" He asked, coming closer to the Goblin. The green one shielded his face with hands, passing out on the spot from fear. Zack nodded in satisfaction and used his tentacles to read the Goblin King's mind. A blurry scene played out in front of him, but he could still catch the voices.

* * *

 _"You will hunt him and bring him to me. You will not fail."_

 _"Alrighty, but that lizard brat is tougher than he looks."_

 _There was a flash of blood red eyes. "Then you must take your army. The Phantom Dragon will be unprepared."_

 _"Of course, master." The goblin paused. "Will I receive the award?"_

 _"If you succeed," Draco answered. The red eyes turned to a small, skimpy, pale blue dragon. "Comrasis! You and your acquaintances must continue putting posters around Equestria. They must be in every corner of the land, so everyone is aware of the dragon. Those ponies who are not aware of The Phantom Dragon's good intentions will be blinded by the greed of the bounty and turn against him." He said._

* * *

Suddenly, the sound was blurring out and the picture was gone. The Goblin King, although unconscious, was starting to block Zack out.

"Ah!" Zack snapped, blinking his eyes. He was back, floating in front of the Goblin King. He scowled at the green beast, then his face went wicked. "I better finish the job." His arm turned into a fiery, sharp blade and he reached it over the Goblin King.

"NO!" Screamed the mane 6, begging for him not to. "STOP!" But Zack couldn't hear them; he was blinded by his hatred. A weak Twilight, ignoring 'nurse' Applejack's complaints ran up to the dragon boy and wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a tight hug. Zack suddenly lowered the blade, and his eyes returned to emerald green. His body returned to normal, and he hugged Twilight back, a golden glow surrounding them. His head suddenly filled with memories of what happened, and he pushed her back. Him slicing all those goblins and scaring the king. _What had overcome him?_

"Twilight.. What did I do?" He gulped, shivering at himself, "Perhaps I do deserve to have that bounty after all. I am a criminal."

"No. You're my friend." Twilight said, hugging him again, "I even wouldn't care if you were the prettiest pony or the ugliest slug." The rest of the mane 6 joined in, with a slightly reluctant Applejack. Twilight put on a big smile, "We all love you, Zack!"

"You're the best, Zacky Bear!" Pinkie cheered, wagging her poofy hair.

"Hey.. Twilight, you're healed!" Fluttershy said, staring at the purple girl. Twilight laughed and looked her body, beaming at Zack.

"You're going to fine Zack, I know it," Twilight said to him, patting his shoulder. "Now show us who you really are."

The dragon gave her nod and pointed at the Goblin King, his powers healing the damage on the green one. A bright yellow, energetic hand-cuff wrapped around the Goblin, ready to be taken to jail.

* * *

The next day, after the Goblin King and his army were put behind bars, Zack was ready to tell Celestia what he discovered. He now knew more about Draco's intentions and more importantly, who were putting the posters up. He leaned against the door of the library, staring at all the shelves of books. _Do they have any books about dragon leaders,_ he thought.

"Aww, I can't believe I missed the whole thing!" Spike scowled, feather dusting the bookshelves. "Ms Cranky Sparkle gave me chores to do all day." He said, waving away the dust. Zack smiled and shook his head.

"Look, I need you to do a favour for me if you don't mind. Could you write me a letter?" He asked, staring at the little purple dragon, brushing away at the bookshelves.

"Oh, I suppose so. At least it's better than sweeping the floor." The little dragon said, getting out paper and ink. "Is this for Celestia?" Zack nodded and Spike sat on the floor, dipping the quill in ink.

"Okay, ready Spike?" Zack asked, staring at the purple dragon. He nodded, and Zack breathed in, "Dear Princess Celestia, it's me Zack. Got that, Spike?" He asked; Spike nodded, "I am sending you a letter in regards of my discoveries of Draco. Got that?" Spike nodded once more, "I found out who is placing my bounty posters around Equestria. It is a small, blue dragon called Comarisis. Got that?" Spike nodded again, a little more impatiently,

"So he and his 'acquaintances' are spreading posters around Equestria, in order to get ponies unaware of my good intentions to go after the money. Got that?" Spike nodded, muttering under his breath, "Also, the Goblin King is behind bars, along with his army. I still haven't found out why Draco is after me, but I know the news about me is spreading through the land. From Zack." Spike sent the message out in a spit of green flame. Then he turned to Zack with raised eyebrows.

"You never tell me any of this stuff. Draco? Goblin King? Gosh, what's next?" The purple dragon said, picking up his feather duster and sighing. Zack watched him leave, but his mind was deep in thought. The more time he spent with the girls, the more he got to know and love them. _But what happened to him in his ghost form?_ He wondered what the girls were thinking of. It seemed the only one not troubled was Spike. But with Draco running around, nothing was safe.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	13. Owl's Well that Ends Well

"I'm so happy you decided to spend some time with me in the library, Zack!" Twilight said, giving the dragon a big grin. "You don't know how happy it makes me."

"It's nothing Twi. Now, you said you would help me with my assignment?" He asked, as the two walked into the library shelf area. Twilight nodded vigorously, always happy to help out with an assignment. Zack looked satisfied. "Well, it's about the dragon leader.. And I was just wondering if you have any books about him." He asked. Twilight pulled a curious expression.

"Hm.. I'll have a look. We have a lot of books." She answered, jogging over to the shelves. Her fingers trailed along the spines, as she searched for a book. Zack joined her side, and the two searched together. Soon, they both spotted the same book, and grabbed it at the same time, their hands clutched tightly on the spine. They beamed at each other, and slowly removed the book. Twilight let go with a giggle, Zack grabbing the book.

"Thanks, Twi." He said, opening the navy blue, hard cover book. The title said _'Ancient Legend of the Dragon lord'_ In golden writing.

"It's actually about an 'ancient legend' that was about some sort of Ancient Dragon lord. Everypony said it was just made up, but with this.. Draco character around, it might not be so fake after all," Twilight recited, gesturing him to open the book. He did said gesture, revealing white pages with swirly, black writing. "It's quite an old book, really. I hope it can help you."

"No. Help us, Twilight. You're in it too, right?" Zack asked, looking into her eyes. She blushed, looking away slightly. He beamed. "Come on, Twi. You're my best friend.. I'm not involving you in this just because you're incredibly smart, I'm involving you because no one else could take that place."

"Zack! Come on, read it." She said, eyeing the book. Zack read the first few pages.

 _Once upon a time, during the peaceful rule of Celestia, there was a small kingdom of dragons. However, their kingdom was not at peace. A greedy, power hungry dragon wanted to take the kingdom for his own, for he and his army to reside. But the Dragon goddess would not stand for this. Using her strong powers, she made a sacrifice. She would be given the ability to banish the greedy dragon and his followers far away, but she must give up herself to another world in the process. She did just that, diminishing the evil dragon, but taking herself far away. She, neither the evil dragon, have been seen since. Ancient legend says that they will return one day._

"Woah.." Zack breathed, examining the book once more. He looked up at Twilight, who nodded.

"Yeah. A lot of people say it was made up as.. Well, us people down here don't really know too much about dragons. It's rare to see one even near a town. I guess I got lucky when Spike was given as my assistant.. Oh, and you of course!" She said, with a big grin. Zack clutched onto the book and stood up, facing her. Twilight blushed, as the two awkwardly looked at each other. "Zack.. Y'know, since you've been here.. I've always felt like we were.. A.. great couple.." She breathed, trying to hide her panting. They leaned towards each other, with big grins-

"Yeah! I'm Twilight's number one assistant!" Spike cried, entering the room, carrying lots of scrolls. Twilight laughed.

"Well, my Number One assistant, could you prepare the stuff for Centennial Meteor Shower? Never too late to be prepared," Twilight ordered, getting a nod from the purple dragon. She turned to Zack. "Oh! Did I tell you about the meteor shower? Wow! It's really cool, trust me.."

"I'm sure it is, Twi. I've never seen a meteor shower before. We had them back in my world, although they weren't that common." Zack said, staring at the roof like it was a meteor shower.

"Wow.. Then you're going to love it. After all, Zack, it only happens every 100 years." She said. The two beamed at each other, leaning in-

"Hey guys!" Rainbow Dash yelled, bursting into the room. Twilight and Zack fell apart with a squeal. The former got up and shook nausea from her eyes.

"Rainbow Dash?! What are you doing here?" She asked, giving the blue girl a weird look. Rainbow Dash nervously chuckled and flipped her hair back.

"Oh.. Well.. I just wondering if I could borrow Zack for a bit.." She said, her gaze setting on the dragon. Twilight's eyes narrowed.

"Were you now? I thought you were practising your flying skills." She scoffed, giving Dash the stink eye. The blue girl shrugged.

"It got boring. Anyways, I need Zack," Dash said, grabbing Zack's wrist before Twilight could protest, "See you at the meteor thing, Twilight!" She zoomed out of the window, Zack trailing behind her. He almost caught a glimpse of Twilight's glare. The purple girl was wondering if some of her friends were beginning to like Zack too. Was it normal to feel oddly jealous that he was going with Dash? But everyone wanted to be with Zack.. Everyone wanted to hang out with him. She bit her lip.

* * *

They landed in front of Dash's cloud house, which if Zack was on Earth, it would be only something in his dreams. There were rainbow falls coming out the sides, cloud windows and a puffy cloud roof. Rainbow Dash caught his gaze, and they both stared at her house, then back at each other.

"So… Why did you want me?" Zack asked, as they neared the entrance of the house. Dash tried to hide her blush.

"Well.. It's just that.. You've been hanging out with all the other girls lately, and.. I.. kind of.. Feel.." She bit her lip, as if the words couldn't form on her tongue.

"Left out?" Zack finished. The blue girl's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, yeah.. How did you know?" She asked, as they passed her archway. Zack shrugged.

"I know a few things." He said. Dash chuckled, covering her pink cheeks. In her head and heart, she definitely felt like she had been missing out on quality time with that handsome dragon.. Pinkie was his so called girlfriend, Fluttershy and him bonded perfectly, he lived with Twilight, Rarity gave him everything fashion, Applejack.. Well…  
"I'm sure you do," She said, as they arrived in her living room. There were hard, wooden walls, compared to the lighter and puffier cloud floor. A large cloud had been made into a couch and a coffee table. They sat down on the plump couch; it was the softest thing Zack had ever sat on. "Hey. Here's a joke: What did one butt cheek say to the other butt cheek?" Dash asked.

"What?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't talk to the guy in the middle, he's a butthole!" The blue girl cried. Zack and her burst into laughter, their faces full of joy. They stopped and faced each other, blushing madly. Dash cleared her throat. "So.. You like sports?"

"Of course I do!" Zack chuckled. Dash beamed.

"What kind of sports? I love all sports, but my particular favorite is soccer. You play soccer?" She asked, her voice eager.

"Uh, duh! Well, a little bit." He said softly. Dash laughed.

"I've always loved soccer. Since I was a filly. Soccer is my favorite land sport, meaning no flying involved. Of course, there are many other sports I love. What are your faves?" She asked, laying back on the couch like a slacker.

"Well, I'm doing karate and martial arts-"

"AWESOME! I love those things!" She said, jumping off the couch, bright and energetic. Then she sighed, and her face drooped, as if all the energy was gone. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind what?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That.. I'm not.. Well, girly. Being all about sports. I love my friends, I really do, but the only one who is serious 'bout sports is AJ. And she's always doing farm chores, so I don't always get alotta time with her. Everyone else.. Is sort of.. Well.." Dash sighed, sinking back into the couch. Zack beamed at her.

"I don't mind at all. Being a tomboy is awesome, Rainbow D!" The dragon said, helping her back up with a friendly grin. Her face blushed bright red, and she blew him a little kiss. He joined in her blushing sensation. The blue girl shook it off.

"Well, what are we doing sitting around? Come on, Z, let's have some fun!" Dash cried, jumping off the couch like an excited kitten. Zack followed, almost skipping, after her.

* * *

They arrived at a cloudfield outside the blue girl's home. Zack helped her set up the soccer nets and things for karate. Dash placed the ball in the middle of the firm cloud field, and she and Zack surrounded it, like hungry tigers.

"I warn you Zack, I'm really good." She said with a wink.

"We'll see about that." Zack said jokingly, taking off his long, black coat and jacket by shaking it off. Dash blushed a little bit at his muscular arms.

"Okay, let's start! First to two wins," She said, blowing her whistle. She immediately took possession of the ball, Zack right behind her. Her foot gave the ball just enough energy to head for the goal, but Zack leaped in front of it, just in time. He kicked it, with his strong leg, sending it flying way over the soccer field. Dash laughed. "Woah, no need to be too enthusiastic!" She turned into a pegasus and flew after the ball, just before it could hit the ground.

"Okay, let's get this party on the road." She said, after returning with the ball. This time, Zack took possession, but not for long, because Dash swiped it from his grip and used a killer kick, sending it straight into the goal.

"Good job, but it's two goals to win!" Zack said, retrieving the ball with a competitive grin. She blew her whistle and grabbed the ball, Zack's leg taking it out of her grip. She sped after him, quickly getting her ball back. The dragon bolted over to his goal, where the ball was aimed. He held out his arms, but the quick ball avoided them and headed head first into the goal, declaring the winner. The blue girl grabbed the ball and held it high above her head.

"Dash wins again!" She cried, with a big grin. Zack clapped.

"Well done, Rainbow D! You're great at soccer," He said, patting her shoulder. She beamed at him, cradling the ball in her arms. Then he crossed his arms, "Wanna do some martial arts and karate?" Dash nodded so eagerly that she dropped the ball.

* * *

Soon, the soccer posts and net had been removed, and were replaced with a clean, plain cloudfield and the two people in the middle, facing each other. They both had their hair tied up in high ponytails and were staring at each other sternly. They performed a peaceful bow to each other.

"I'll go easy on you," Zack promised, getting his hand ready. Dash's eye twitched amusingly.

"That is one thing you should not offer me, Mr Zachary." She said, jumping up and taking a kick at his shoulder. His smile widened as he neatly dodged. Rainbow Dash managed to kick him in the shins, but her got her back by fiercely by giving her a front snap kick. She winced a little, but the determination in her eyes was stronger than medicine. The blue girl gave a knife hand on the arm, but he returned her by using the ball of his foot. She waddled back and fell on the ground. Zack laughed cheerily and helped her up, giving her a goofy grin.

"Boy, you're good at karate. No wonder that Goblin what's his name couldn't take you down." Dash said, with a chuckle. Zack suddenly remembered all of the events: him attacking, that rage.. What happened back then? He needed to mediate and find out..

"Uh, hello, Equestria to Zack?" Dash said, waving her hand in front of his face. He sighed and shook his head. "Well, ya won, Zack. Congrats. Round two?" She asked, gesturing him to bring it on. He tried to give her a front snap kick, but she dodged it. "I'll take that as a yes!" She cried, running towards him with the back of her fist. When she came to strike, Zack used the instep of his foot and placed it near Dash's neck, giving her a tap in the neck. She wobbled a bit, dropping her fist. She brought back up again, this time in the form of a spear hand, but Zack gave her another front snap kick and she fell down.

"Okay, you win!" She laughed, as Zack helped her back up. But then a mischievous smile consumed her face. "But I've got one more thing in store."

Zack raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"A race."

* * *

The two of them stood near on the base of a small cloud, with bright blue sky in front of them. The sun shone like a brilliant white jewel, which shone down and showed them the path ahead.

"Okay," Said Dash, pointing upwards, "Up ahead there are a line of clouds in a row, roughly 5. We firstly have to race past all 5, then there will be a checkpoint that will tell us to go right. We will fly over Ponyville, do a circle, and pass the finish line, which is right over," Dash said, pointing down a few meters, to another cloud with a black and white checkered flag, "There. First one passes that flag wins," She said, taking a breath, "Okay, quick rules: No cheating, that means no using your powers, Zack. No harming each other.. Oh, I'm not Twilight. I'm not going to give you thirty rules," She said with a laugh, "Okay.. ready. Set go!" She cried, turning into a little blue pegasus and zooming off.

Zack turned into his dragon form, which was the size of a house. Dash was nothing more than a little blue speck compared to him. He quickly caught up, winking at her with his great dragon eye, as she flew right next to his head.

"Nice dragon, but you'll have to do better than that!" She peered, glancing at her little wings. She picked up speed, taking off underneath the dragon's neck, then flying up to the first cloud, marking her checkpoint. "Dash one, Zack neil," She muttered, flapping her wings hard. Zack flapped his enormous wings, soon catching up to her. His wing was so huge that it destroyed the little cloud with one flap. Dash stared at him. "You think you can beat me?" She flew in a circle, flying stomach up towards the next cloud, like a bullet. After that, she flew quite high above the ground, so she could see the rest of the clouds from a bird's eye view.

Zack's huge shadow landed on the world beneath him, as he passed the second cloud with a flap. He could see a blue speck high in the sky, knowing it was his friend. She had a satisfied expression on her face. Zack mentally grinned and flapped his wings harder, passing underneath her and straight for the third cloud destroying and snatching first place. He glanced up at her now furious and competitive face. His wing beated harder, getting closer to the fourth cloud, along with the competition in his eyes. He made it there even faster than before, destroying it quickly. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash zoomed in front of him, speeding towards the 5th cloud. He flew alongside her, his wings brushing Dash's tail. She got there first, jumping through it legs first, blowing a raspberry at Zack as she reclaimed 1st place.

Zack quickly caught up to the blue girl, who was turning around to go fly over Ponyville. She wagged her wing at him and flew across the blue sky, like someone threw a frisbee around his head. He quickly beat his wings, getting his place right behind her. Underneath them, the world of Ponyville was shown. The residents gasped and stared up at the flying duo, especially the gigantic dragon.

Rainbow Dash wiped a bead of sweat off her face, gritting her teeth as the wind blew her hair back. She waved a hoof down to the onlookers. Then a gigantic shadow consumed her body, forcing her to look up and see a familiar dragon flying over her, taking her over by a lot. Her mouth dropped open like a fish. She shook it off, trying to catch up to the large creature, but it was more difficult done than said. Then a plan hatched in her mind.

Zack turned a little to the right, glancing back a bit at the blue speck. He noticed it was slowly starting to fade away, making him suspicious. Probably one of her plans, he thought, circling Ponyville like an oval. The finish line wasn't too far; it was in eye's reach. Zack beated his wings a little more, getting his entire shape closer to the little flag.

Rainbow Dash smiled wickedly as she flew quite high above the finish line. Zack was almost there, but she knew he wouldn't be able to top what she was going to do. She glanced at each her flapping wings with a pleasant smile.

"Come on Dash, let's show 'em what you can do." She said. She performed a few somersaults, before taking down like a bullet towards the cloud. Her wings flapped furiously, as a sound barrier appeared in front of her face. The finish line was getting nearer, but so was Zack. Dash felt her face being pulled back with the wind, her body making contact with the cloud..

"IT WAS A TIE!" Dash called, as her face and Zack's snout made it into the cloud at the same time. He turned back into his normal self and joined Dash, who was human too on the cloud. They glanced at each other with big grins, giving each other and quick fist bump. The blue girl gave the boy a kiss on the check, which turned his face bright red. She winked at him. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Of course, Dash!" He said cheerfully, playfully punching her on the shoulder. She sniggered.

"Just.. maybe don't be with Twilight at that time." She said, with a cheeky grin. Zack nodded, jumping off the cloud, hovering a few meters away from it. Dash waved. "Bye Zack! See ya at the meteor thing!"

"Bye!" Zack called, flying off.

* * *

A few hours later, Zack, Twilight and Spike were setting off to see the meteor shower on a large green hill. They had packed a picnic, things for looking at the stars and themselves, of course. Spike set down the checkered picnic rug on the green hill, and Twilight and Zack setup everything else. Soon, the other people arrived, very excited to see the meteor shower. Spike cleaned all the bowls and plates, giving Twilight lots of help with her telescope. Twilight tattled on about Spike's assistance, getting everyone staring at the purple dragon with awe.

"Wow, you're lucky to have such a rad assistant, Twi. Wish I had someone to do everything I told them." Rainbow Dash said. She was suddenly approached by Scootaloo, and the two talked away. Rarity admired the picnic set up, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Do we have to thank Spike again for this spread? Isn't he simply amazing?" Rarity asked, making Spike blush.

"Oh, go on." He said, with a chuckle. Zack laughed and patted his head.

"Way to go, little bro. You are awesome." He said, as the two dragons stared at each other. The girls awwed cutely and stared at them with shining eyes. The two fist bumped, getting laughter from the others.

"You are just a little cutesy wutesy, Spike!" Pinkie squealed, although she secretly thought Zack was the most cutest and cuddly dragon. Spike blushed again.

"A good little assistant deserves a bow-tie!" Rarity said, placing a red, jewel encrusted bow-tie on Spike's neck. He patted it like it was a solid block of gold and looked up at his friends.

"You guys embarrass me, honestly. Hey look, the show is starting!" Spike cried, pointing up at the night sky. Many golden sparks flew across the sky, leaving a white beam behind them. Everyone was so captivated by their beauty that they couldn't speak. Spike was so captivated that he fell asleep in the punch bowl. Everyone laughed.

* * *

The next morning, Fluttershy invited Zack over for tea at her comfy cottage. She had made them both hot, pleasant, green tea over a little wooden table in her cottage. The animals surrounded them, twittering and chirping.

"Good morning, Zack," Fluttershy said, pouring Zack a cup of tea, "I hope you're well."

"I'm good, thanks," He said, taking a sip of the tea, "Thank you for inviting me over. I think Spike's a little jealous of that new owl. I'll have to go and sort that out."

Fluttershy smiled. "That's why you're so special Zack, helping everyone," She looked at his cup with concern, "Is your tea too hot? I might've over boiled it.."

"No, it's fine. You didn't have to go through all this trouble." Zack said, looking at the organized table. There was a white, lace table cloth, with a white cake stall with berries neatly piled on it. Fluttershy grinned shyly.

"Oh.. it's fine, for a good friend," She said, giving him one of the plump berries, "Try this. It's from the Everfree Forest. My friend Harry the bear found it." The yellow girl pointed to a large, brown bear, who gave the dragon a friendly wave.

"Um.. thanks, Harry," Zack said, taking a bite of the berry, feeling the sweet tartness explode in his mouth. "Wow.. That's amazing!" He said, with wide eyes. Fluttershy giggled and nodded.

"Well.. I just wanted to say thanks for coming. I saw you as a big dragon flying over Ponyville yesterday with Rainbow Dash. What were you doing?" She asked, with a hint of fear, but mostly joy. Zack jokingly rolled his eyes.

"Me and Dash were having a race. It was a lot of fun, even though we both got a little competitive."

"Who won?"

"It was a tie."

"Oh, good. I love it when Everyone wins," Fluttershy said dreamily, grinning. "I guess that's what I love about you too.." She said, suddenly having a strong feeling of romance at the dragon. Her face turned scarlet and she covered it with her hand.

"Thanks." Said Zack, with a broad grin. Fluttershy nodded briefly at him, but her gaze was on her little white bunny. She needed someone to talk to.. This feeling was bugging her.

"Um.. Harry, show Zack where you got the berries from!" Fluttershy sprung up, grabbing the dragon's wrist. She brought him over to the large, brown bear, who clapped his hands. Fluttershy winked at Zack, then sent him and the bear outside, the dragon looking quite confused. She took a big breath of relief, then trotted over to Angel. "Excuse me Angel," She asked to the little white bunny. He was chewing on a piece of lettuce, but looked up at the yellow girl. "I have some questions." She said. Angel bunny nodded, gesturing her to ask. She breathed in.

"Do you think.. That.. Zack would like a girl like me.. As a.. G-girlfriend?" She stammered, kneeling down on the floor. Angel, with a stern look, tapped his furry chin. He nodded after a few moments, sending relief through Fluttershy's heart. "Thank you. How do you think the other girls would react? Would they be jealous? What do you think?" Angel shrugged, giving her a look that said 'That is your answer'. Fluttershy nodded, although she was quite confused.

"Well, maybe we can all share him. Since.. We all love him, right? Well.. most of us.." She said, looking into Angel's tiny black eyes. She thought about all the horrible villains, the Goblin king, that Draco character.. And even a certain orange girl. Angel seemed to read her thoughts, and nodded quite vigorously. Fluttershy picked him up in her soft hands and hugged him, near her neck. "Thank you so much, Angel!" The bunny shoved her away in disgust, jumping out of her hands.

"Hello," A voice said behind her. Zack and Harry the bear were carrying large handfuls of the berries. "I would've used magic, but I think Harry gets spooked by it, so we did it the manual way." He said with a chuckle. Fluttershy laughed along with him, although she wondered how they did all that so fast.

* * *

Zack made his way back to the library, where he saw a grumpy Spike muttering to himself, behind the bookshelf.

"That bird is out for my job. He wants to be number one. I'll prove to Twilight that I deserve to be number one. Not Freaky Feathers over there." Grumbled Spike, leaving the library room, with his feet stomping on the ground. Over at the light filled window, a little brown owl hooted away, staring at Zack. He stared back, raising an eyebrow. He felt his animal telepathy kick in, and his voice sent to the owl's head.

 _"What's going on here? What did you say to Spike?"_ He asked, trying not to sound too aggressive. The two locked eyes, as if it was a major staring competition.

 _"The dragon is rambunctious. I have tried to speak to him, but alas, he cannot understand me. I tried to tell him that I wish him no harm, that I am only helping his mentor, but he only assumes I am competing against him."_ The owl answered, in a echoey, hooty voice.

 _"So.. this is all a misunderstanding?"_ Zack asked, his eyes filling with realization. The owl hooted at him. Zack assumed that must mean yes, but he raised an eyebrow. _"You sure?"_

 _"Of course, child. I arrived after retrieving a scroll for the mentor, who goes by 'Twilight'. She enjoyed my company and let me reside with her. She says I am rather helpful."_ Owlowiscious replied, puffing out his feathers. Zack snorted.

 _"That's why Spike thinks you're after his job."_ The dragon replied. The owl hooted, shutting his eyes, ending the chat. Zack got to his feet, and left the shelf room, going upstairs, to see if he could find Spike. He ran into Twilight.

"Hey Zack! Have you met Owlowiscious? He's my junior assistant. Also, I put those dragon lord books in your room." Twilight said, with a busy smile, carrying some scrolls in her arms. Zack nodded and cleared his throat.

"Do you know where Spike is? I need to find him." Zack urged, breathing out. Twilight tapped her chin and nodded her head towards the window near Zack's bedroom.

"Hm.. I'm not sure. He's been acting a little weird anyway. You know what's up with him?" She asked, with concern in her eyes. "I'm kind of worried about him."

"He's just a little jealous." Zack said, going up to his bedroom window. He shoved it open with one push, showing him the whole town. Flapping his wings, he lifted out of the window, past the wooden frame and landed softly on the ground. His eyes searched the town, but he could not see the little dragon anyway. He jogged across the town, scanning it thoroughly with his eyes.

"Spike! Spike!" He called, cupping his hands over his mouth. "Where are you? Spike!" There was not a sign of the little dragon anywhere. "SPIKE!" He saw a lady pushing a baby stroller, and came over to her. "Excuse me ma'am, have you seen a little purple dragon?"

"Um.. I think I saw one going that way." She said, pointing to the Everfree Forest. Zack gasped.

"Thank you ma'am." He said, rushing off in the direction she pointed.

At the edge of the Everfree Forest, he saw a little purple dragon carrying a bindle over his shoulder, with a depressed expression. "SPIKE!"

"Huh?" The dragon turned around, brushing a leaf out of his face. He saw Zack waving to him, with a relieved grin. "Zack? What are you doing here?"

"Spike! I'm so happy to see you. Trust me, it's all a misunderstanding. The owl isn't after you job." Zack said, running over to the purple dragon. He put his arm around Spike, taking him home. Spike brushed him off with a scowl.

"It doesn't feel that way. Twilight doesn't even care about me anymore. She just replaced me with that owl.." He said, his voice tinged with sadness. Zack shook his head.

"Spike, you're always Twilight's number one assistant. The owl is just.. Her pet. You mean so much more." The older one said, rubbing Spike's shoulders. The purple one's eyes filled with hope.

"Do.. do you mean that?" He asked, his lip quivering. Zack nodded, his eyes shining.

"Come on, everyone is waiting for you."

* * *

Zack and his friends stood outside the library, laughing and talking.

"Wanna hang out?" Twilight asked quietly to Zack, eye-gesturing to the library.

"I CALL DIBS HANGING WITH ZACK!" Dash called, punching her fist in the air. Not just Twilight, but everyone glared at her, Applejack with a raised eyebrow.

"But I asked you first.. Come on, it's me and you time, Zack." The purple girl said, grasping his arm. He sighed and nodded, with a big grin, knowing that she did ask first. Twilight jumped up and down for joy, squealing in delight. Everyone stared at her awkwardly, while Zack looked quite confused. Twilight noticed this and stopped jumping, blushing bright red. Zack burst out laughing. The two laughed for a bit, before Zack patted her shoulder with a shrug.

"Don't worry Twi, I'll always be hanging out with you.. You and your friends are the ones who helped me see that this is my home and hopefully find my mother.." The dragon said, with a sad smile, as he thought about his past life.. All his old friends and family... Twilight wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him comforting hug. A big grin consumed his face as he hugged her back. "Thanks Twi. Besides, I'll need some help with finding this Comarisis guy."

"Of course." Twilight replied, as the sun began to set. Then Twilight realized.

She and her friends were so close to Zack.. _because they loved him._


	14. Party of One

Zack was in his room, staring up at the wooden ceiling. He was laying on his bed, his eyes fluttering ever so slightly. For the first time in awhile, he felt peaceful and relaxed. But he should've known it would never stay that way. This was _Equestria_ after all.

There was a knock on the door, zapping Zack out of his subtle dose. He blinked a few times and got to his feet, opening the door. Twilight was there, with a big grin on her face.

"Good morning, Twi," Zack yawned, as she beamed at him. "You look happy." It was a good thing, rather. A few days ago she had been rather cranky, so a smile was always a good thing.

"Well, we've got a bit of a surprise," Twilight answered, "Today is Pinkie's birthday. And I need your help."

"It is?" Zack asked, biting his lip. He laced his fingers together, tracing memories.

"Uh huh," Twilight said, grabbing his wrist, "And you have a big part of it," The two headed downstairs, where Spike was leaning against a bookshelf. He gave the two a wave, which they returned. Twilight bolted over to the window and peered through it, her eyes sharp. She muttered something under her breath, but it didn't sound aggressive. It sounded kind of nerve-racking. Zack stood there in confusion for a few moments. Then she went back to him, her eyes shimmering. "You remember Gummy's birthday, right?" Zack nodded, raising an eyebrow. Then he remembered Twilight saying they should do something like that again.. _A party.._

"Pinkie's coming," Twilight said, her voice slightly frantic, "And we're planning her a party, like she did for Gummy. We need you to distract her and keep her entertained while we set up the party. Do you think you can do that?" Twilight asked politely. Zack considered this for a moment, then nodded. Twilight smiled. "Good. Because she's here right now." As if on cue, there was a bright knock on the door. Twilight answered the door, revealing indeed, the pink party pony, with a basket of bright pink envelopes inside.

"Hey Twilight!" She squeaked excitedly, jumping up as she said this, "You said we should have another party soon, and... it's soon! Here's your invitation!" She held out one of the pink letters, "For Gummy's After-birthday party!"

"Oh.. Sorry Pinkie, I need to study. But Zack can go with you," Twilight replied, giving Zack a secret wink as he left the library. He returned the wink, as the door closed. Pinkie put her arm around his shoulders and squealed with glee.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're coming, Zacky Bear! Nopony else is coming. They're all too busy." She spoke, her voice a little solemn.

"Well, I'm coming." Zack smiled, giving her a wink. Pinkie beamed back and give him a little hug.

"I know! IT'S _SO_ EXCITING! Me, you and Gummy!" She cheered, giving Zack a clap on the shoulder. Zack nodded, giving her full eye contact, although his mind was elsewhere, thinking about Twilight and the others. Pinkie's party.. He hoped it would go _well.._

"Come on, to Sugarcube Corner!" Pinkie cried, grabbing his wrist, zapping him out of thoughtland. They skipped through Ponyville, like small children, arriving at Sugarcube Corner. They entered the building, where a flustered Mrs Cake waved to them. Pinkie and Zack both waved back, then headed to the kitchen. The kitchen has cream walls, and the cupboards and closets are coloured in pastel colours. There are frilly curtains and everything in the room either has hearts or cloud designs.

"We should bake lots of cakes and cupcakes and punch!" Zack suggested brightly, using his powers to grab said items from the closets and cupboards. He also grabbed a pale pink bowl and poured some flour into it. Pinkie giggled and added a dash of salt. Zack made the spoon float. "Magic spoon!" He said, making it swirl in the air. Pinkie glanced briefly out the window for a second, but snorted regardless. He grabbed a little pint of milk, and poured it slowly into the bowl. Pinkie's eyes were on the window, and her eye was twitching slightly.

"Pinkie?" Zack asked, clicking his finger. She turned back to him, her smile a little smaller.

"Huh?" Pinkie asked, her eyebrow raised. Zack handed her a stuffed bag of sugar. "Wanna add the sugar?"

"Oh, um, of course!" Pinkie replied, opening the sugar bag. Her eyes kept darting off the sugar bag and the window as she poured the grains. When she was done, the mixture was a large mix of white dough.

"What flavour are we going to make these cupcakes?" Zack asked, grabbing a little bottle of vanilla essence and a cup of cocoa powder. Then his eyes lit up. "What about a mixture of both?"

"Okay," Pinkie replied, obviously trying not to look at the window, though her voice sounded like she was actually doing that. Zack added a drop of the black vanilla and Pinkie sifted in the cocoa powder. The mixture was now a light, chocolatey brown. Pinkie's blue eyes darted to the window, and while Zack was putting the cupcakes in the oven, she ran over to it. She stared outside of it, her eyes narrow and her forehead creased. She had spotted something. Something blue and rainbow. Something rainbow carrying a box and trotting like a spy. The rainbow handed the box over to the light-pink and yellow one.

"Pinkie, what are you doing?" Zack asked calmly, as he tried not to keep the shock out of his voice. He stood behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Come on, we've got more to do!" He said this with energy and passion. Pinkie turned around, her trademark smile fumbling to form.

"Zack.." She started. Panic flashed in Zack's mind like an alarm, and he tried not to express any fright. He took a deep breath and grabbed her hand.

"Okay, look at this!" Zack cried, turning into Pinkie Pie herself. He made up a silly dance and pulled tons of funny faces. He grabbed a piece of fruit from a glass bowl and turned the skin into a happy face and made it speak. "Hello Pinkie! How's it going?" It said, in a bright, cheery voice.

"Zack," Pinkie stormed suddenly, her voice all stern and cold. Zack was so surprised that the orange exploded, squirting the juice all over the place. He turned back into himself, taking in a deep breath. Pinkie sighed. "I saw Rainbow Dash giving something to Fluttershy and they both were acting all snoopy. What's going on? _I know you know._ " Her glare was harsh. Zack had never seen Pinkie look so.. _Furious._

"I have no idea what you're talking about..." He replied, in his calmest voice, as he laced his hands together. Pinkie looked even madder.

"Don't play dumb with me, Zack. I know you're hiding something." She growled, taking a step towards him and aiming a finger in his face. Zack gulped and put his hands up.

"Look, I really need to use the restroom. Then I'll talk." He breathed out. He bolted out of the room before Pinkie could object. He ran into the entrance, bumping into the counter. He used his telepathy, sending sonar waves to his friend Twilight.

 _"Twi! How's it going?"_ Zack asked, his voice echoed from the effects of the telepathy.

 _"I think it's going okay. We're getting the cake near Sweet Apple Acers,"_ Then she paused, _"Aren't you supposed to be looking after Pinkie?"_

 _"I told her I went to the toilet,"_ He answered, as he trotted out the door of the bakery. _"Do you need help with anything?"_

Twilight remained thoughtful for a second, _"Well, we could use a bit of help with the banner. But honestly, you need to look after Pinkie, so don't worry."_

 _"Oh Twilight, I want to help. I'll be really quick, trust me, so she'll never know,"_ Zack replied strictly. Then he cleared his throat. _"I'm coming over."_ He teleported on the spot over to Sweet Apple Acres. Unfortunately, a certain pink party pony happened to be watching him from her window. She glowered.

"Looks like he left me," She hissed, her eyes suddenly going wet with tears, "Just like everypony _else_."

* * *

"Hey Twilight!" Zack cried, entering the barn. It had maroon, wooden walls, decorated with party balloons. Against the walls were white tables, decorated in party food. A large banner was on the floor, in need of being placed up. Twilight ran over and greeted him by giving him a handshake.

"Now be quick," She instructed, pointing at the banner sternly. Using his powers, he lifted the banner neatly into the air, and hung the sides against the wall. It draped over the barn, revealing a picture of Pinkie Pie and lots of sparkly balloons. Everypony else in the room gave an applause to the dragon. Twilight nodded at him. "Well done Zack. Everything's set up, so you can go and get Pinkie now."

"I'll come!" Dash cried, waving her hand in the air, like an eager volunteer. She proudly trotted over to the dragon and stood next to him, as if he was a golden statue. Zack grabbed her arm, giving her a glance, then teleporting out of the room.

* * *

The two reentered Sugarcube Corner, Zack's hand still on Dash's arm. He let go, then looked around curiously.

"Pinkie!" He called out, his voice echoing against the walls, "I'm coming back from the bathroom!" He gave the confused Dash a wink. "Stay here for a sec." He trotted into the kitchen, but no-pony was there. Only the dirty bowl and leftover mixture. The cooked cupcakes were on the table, courtesy of Mrs Cake. But no Pinkie Pie. Zack left the kitchen and bolted up the wooden stairs, making quite a racket. He entered a narrow hallway, with wooden doors and shiny, heart-shaped handles. There was a lot of screaming come from one of these rooms.

"Well, tell me what you do want to hear!" A familiar, younger dragon voice cried. Zack bolted right up to this room and placed his hand on the door knob, turning himself invisible. He sneaked into the room, where he saw Spike on a chair, with a bright light shining on his face. Pinkie, with a furious expression was standing before him, glaring with rage. The little dragon shivered.

"Tell me that my friends are all lying to me and avoiding me because they don't like my parties and they don't want to be _my_ friends anymore!" Pinkie boomed, looking angrier than before. Spike gulped.

"Your.. Friends are lying to you and avoiding you 'cause they don't like your parties and they don't want to be your friends anymore.." Spike solemnly replied, his claws gripping the chair.

"Ah-ha! I _KNEW_ IT!" Pinkie cried, her hair suddenly losing its curliness. It went straight and flat, becoming a shade darker. She mumbled Spike's confession under her breath, while grabbing him a plate of gems. His fear disappeared as he grabbed them in his arms, biting into the bright blue one. Zack watched Spike toddle out the room, then focused on Pinkie, who slumped on the floor, her pupils shrinking. Her ears were flat and she had a psycho smile on her face.

She walked over to a little cupboard and brought out a bucket of turnips. "Hello MR. TURNIP!" She squeaked, cackling, making the turnips have a slow-speaking voice. She grabbed a pile of rocks (from who-knows-where) then stacked them on top of each other, making them have a Bronx accent. "ROCKY!" Was the rock pile's name. Pinkie's next object was a sack of flour, like Zack and her had used to make the cupcakes. "Madame le Flour," Pinkie said, in a french accent, doing a little bow. Then, she finally grabbed a clump of lint and made it speak in a slightly sophisticated tone. "Sir Lintsalot!" She gave all the inanimate objects party hats.

"Thank you all so much for attending Gummy's After-birthday party!" She cried, her voice strained and crazy.

"Could I have some more punch?" 'Mr. Turnip' asked, his voice coming from Pinkie. She nodded vigorously and poured him a glass cup of the sugary, fruity liquid.

"This is one great pahty! You really outdone yourself!" Pinkie said, voicing the rock. The pink girl smiled.

"Why thank you, Rocky," She replied, her grin twitching uneasily.

"Might I trouble you for anozer slice of cake?" Pinkie asked, voicing the bag of flour. The pink girl chuckled slowly and shook her head.

"Anything for you, Madame le Flour!" Pinkie said, giving one of the cupcakes she and Zack made earlier to the flour bag. Zack gulped, feeling his skin prickle.

"I'm just glad none o' them _girls_ showed up." Pinkie said, shaking the rocks slightly, using his voice. She then turned to herself, with a sympathetic face.

"Oh, they're not so bad." She replied, with slightly damp eyes. Then her eyes became even more narrow and her lip blubbered. She trotted back over to Rocky.

"Not so bad? Puh-lease! They're a buncha _losers!_ " The rockpile replied, Pinkie moving it. Zack felt his cheek burn and rage tickle him. He clenched his fists.

"Don't 'cha think 'losers' is a little too strong?" Pinkie asked, shrugging at Rocky.

"By the way they treated you, I don't think 'losers' is strong enough. Especially that _Zack_ fellow. He trotted off on you!" Sir Lintsalot scoffed, floating up and down.

"No I didn't!" Zack cried, suddenly revealing himself. Pinkie made gasping sounds for all her imaginary friends. His expression suddenly softened as he really looked at Pinkie's hair for the first time. "Gosh Pink, you really do look different.." The pink girl laughed wickedly at his comment, twitching with creepy eyes. Zack felt a mix of fear and rage tackle his brain. She was going nuts.. _He knew it._

"What iz he doing here?" Madame Le Flour scowled, in her French tone. Zack's eyes were glued to Pinkie, as he ignored Madame Le Flour. He sighed, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Pinkie, please stop. This is all a misunderstanding. Look-"

"Don't listen to him! _He lies_!" Mr Turnip cried, as Pinkie shook him with rage. Zack bit his lip.

"Pinkie, please. There's something at the barn you need to see-"

"Ah, quiet, you silly dragon boy!" Sir Lintsalot cried, Pinkie glaring at Zack, her eyes narrow. The dragon boy tried his hardest not to let his anger out of control. Instead, he gently reached towards her.

"Oh no ya don't!" Rocky cried, as Pinkie knocked him towards Zack. Rocky fell apart, his rocks going everywhere; all over the table; one even on the floor. Pinkie gasped, her eyes going berzerk.

"ROCKY! Oh Zack, what did you _do?_ " She growled, picking up the rocks, as if they were a real person who had just died. Zack facepalmed himself.

"Look Pinkie, we're going to the barn." He instructed sternly. He grabbed her arm, but she shook him off.

"No! I'm staying here with my _real_ friends!" She screamed, clutching the remaining objects to her chest.

"What's happening? I heard a lot of yelling." Dash's head poked around the door, as she glanced at the messy situation. There was a pile of rocks on the floor and Pinkie was clutching random objects and was glaring at Zack. The blue girl's eyebrows raised. Suddenly the dragon faced her with a scowl.

"Dash, back me up here, Pinkie's off the charts, going all Wack-O in her mind." He said to the shocked blue girl.

"I'm not Wack-O! _You are!_ For leaving me!" Pinkie squealed, clutching all her 'friends' tighter and panting heavily.

"Pinkie look, we need you to help us at Sweet Apple Acres." Dash said, flying above the ground and staring at the blue girl.

"No!" Pinkie cried, glaring up at Dash, who had her arms crossed. "You're not _my_ friends!"

"Yes we are! And I'll prove it!" Dash growled, suddenly flying down and grabbing Pinkie by the arms. Before the pink girl could protest, Dash had already dragged her out of the window, her screaming echoing through Ponyville. Zack teleported after them.

* * *

They arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow Dash still dragging the struggling Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash pulled Pinkie Pie to the front of the barn, crashing nosily on the ground. Zack appeared near them, eyeing Pinkie cautiously. There was music and people talking coming from inside the barn, which sounded happy and cheerful. If you listened close enough, you could hear the munch of a cupcake or the clink of a cup. Pinke immediately jumped up, full of energy. Zack put his hands on her shoulders, feeling her trying to jump up. Using his strength, he pushed back down on her, keeping her still and calm. She eventually slumped helplessly up against the barn wall.

"Oh, I see," Pinke begun, her smile sly, "You're throwing a party to _get rid_ of me!" Then Zack felt his last straw snap. He couldn't stand it anymore. He needed to explain. He gave her a little flick in the forehead. Pinkie's anger seemed to fade away and her expression softened. She looked up at him. "Um.. Zacky, why did you do that?"

"You were acting ridiculous. No one hates you or _your_ parties. We're just preparing your surprise birthday party and if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. That's why Twilight and the others were acting suspicious and I was keeping you occupied." Zack explained, as Pinkie's face showed a mixture of emotions.

"So.. there's a party for me.. _Inside_?" She asked, her eyes suddenly filling with joy for the first time in awhile. Zack nodded, sighing with relief. Pinkie got to her feet, her hair still straight, and entered the barn. There was an explosion of confetti in her face, and all 5 people (Dash went inside earlier) holding a large, frosted cake in Pinkie's face. The pink girl squealed with delight and her hair suddenly became puffy and full of life once again. "WOW!" She cried, grabbing all her friends tightly around the waists, which they blushed, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She quickly dropped them all again, where they were dazed for a few seconds.

"No problem Pinkie. Punch?" Twilight offered, giving the pink girl a little cup of fruity liquid. Pinkie accepted and drank the whole thing in one go, getting a round of applause from Rainbow Dash and Zack. Rarity, on the other hand, looked kind of queasy, especially when Pinkie burped. Then, the pink girl hopped over to the food table and helped herself to a strawberry cupcake. Applejack turned a record on, which sent out a fun-filled, dancing song through the barn. Pinkie danced around, twirling and spinning the air. She got her friends to join in, and all of them had a little boogie. Zack even did a dab.

The dragon was happy for Pinkie's enjoyment, and for his friends'. However, it made him wish his own birthdays were good. His father always ruined his birthday. In fact, the nicest thing Zack's father had done was give his son half a french fry from McDonald's on his birthday, calling it a 'birthday treat'. The cruel man also never let any of his friends come over and never let Zack go to his friends' birthdays. More than ever, Zack wished his mother were here and that she could join in the birthday celebration and meet his new friends as a happy family. But for now, he could join in with the party. After all, there was lots of cake left.

* * *

The next day, Zack awoke again to Twilight thumping downstairs. What is she up to this time, he thought, climbing out of bed. He headed downstairs, to Twilight, who was writing something on a scroll of paper. She looked at him, possibly more excited than she had been on the previous day.

"Zack," She started, "I have very _very_ good news."

"And what's that?" He asked, hoping it wasn't something like Twilight had finished reading her new book. She usually got too excited about books. However, the look in her eyes proved him wrong.

"I know where you can find Comarisis."

* * *

A few minutes later, Zack had a rucksack full of maps, books and snacks. There was a torn up 'wanted' poster and a quill and ink. Twilight zipped up the front of the bag, making sure it was secure. She nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect," Twilight said, looking Zack in the eye, "Now remember to follow that map and compass I gave you. Look out for danger, be alert and stay safe. Do you know what to do when you find Comarisis?" She asked sternly. Zack nodded.

"Yep. You gave me everything, Twi. I can't believe you were clever enough to put a tracking spell on to Comarisis. Why didn't I think of that?" He questioned out loud, causing Twilight to roll her eyes. Then Zack looked very serious. "Are you coming with me?"

"No," Twilight began, "I have to do some more studying and work. But I think you can ask one of the other girls," She gazed into his eyes, looking rather thoughtful. "Hm.. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash left to go and see the Butterfly Migration, and Rarity and Pinkie Pie are in Canterlot planning some sort of fashion party," Twilight tapped her chin. "Applejack seems to be the only one left."

Zack gulped. "But you know AJ, Twi. She'll be busy on the farm," Memories from the events of his and her argument hurt his head. He and her had forgiven each other, but their relationship was still rough around the edges. In fact, he and the orange girl hadn't really spoken to each other since the events of the argument. Twilight didn't really looked like she agreed with him.

"Applejack has already picked all her apples for these 30 Moons. She'll be happy to go an adventure," The purple girl answered. Then she picked up on the uncertainty in Zack's eyes. "Well.. If you really want, you can go on your own."

Then something clicked in Zack's mind. Maybe this could be the bonding experience he and Applejack needed. Maybe so they could be better friends. _Besides, the more the merrier, right?_ He looked into Twilight's lavender eyes, and gave a comforting grin. "See ya, Twi. Wish me luck." Then he disappeared out the door.

* * *

Zack walked past the crooked, wooden gate of Sweet Apple Acres. He could smell the faint scent of hot apple pie and squelchy mud. The red, wooden barn looked like a nice, family home that was well-loved. Zack ran up the dark wooden door and banged his fist on it, shaking such door. An sour-green apple coloured, elderly one answered the door.

"Eh, howdy there, can I help yah?" She asked, her voice written with age. Her dark golden eyes flashed up on Zack. The dragon boy shifted.

"Is Applejack home?" He asked politely. The old woman slowly turned around and cupped her wrinkly hands around her mouth.

"Applejeck! Someone is here to see yeh!" She called, her aged voice rattling the barn. Footsteps trotted down the hall, and the orange girl appeared stood next to the old woman. She stared Zack, with an eyebrow raised.

"Howdy Zack.." She said, her voice polite, her eyes twitching back and forth to the old woman and Zack.

"Hello," Zack beckoned with a friendly smile, gesturing the orange one out, "I have something to show you." Applejack raised an eyebrow at his behavior, but left the barn regardless.

"Eh, when yeh done Applejeck, do come home, won't cha..." The woman spoke, shutting the door in front of her, leaving Zack and Applejack alone.

"Who's that?" Zack questioned, glancing at the now-shut door.

"Granny Smith," Answered Applejack quickly, her face still stern, "Now, what did yah wanna show me, sugarcube?" She watched as Zack took off his rucksack and pull out a piece of paper.

"I need your help," He began, handing her the map, "I've.. Well, Twilight found Comarisis."

 _"Who?"_

"Assistant of that Draco fellow. He's the one putting up those posters," Zack explained, his finger hovering across the map. "And Twilight tracked him down for me to go and deal with him."

"And you're telling me this 'cause..?" Applejack questioned, her eyebrow raised once again. Zack tried not to groan at her negativity.

"Because I need _your_ help." He replied. The orange girl rolled up the map into a scroll and handed it back to Zack.

"What 'bout Twilight? You said she found this.. Comarisis." Applejack inquired, crossing her arms.

"She's studying and doing more research." Zack answered, putting the map back in the rucksack. He faced Applejack and stared into her green, fiery eyes. Zack sighed. "Look, Applejack, everypony else is out of town and I need your help. Besides, these days, we don't really talk to each other." Applejack looked inquisitive; she was processing his comment in her mind.

"Look, Zack, as much as I'm thankful for you savin' Ponyville from that.. Goblin.. I still don't know if I can trust you or not. Heck, I barely know what we're doing." The orange girl spoke, honesty showing. Zack just smiled.

"Well, I trust you, and I suppose that'll have to be enough for the both of us," The boy replied, reaching for his little golden compass. "Let's just say this journey is going to take us out of Ponyville too."

* * *

Zack and Applejack teleported over to a place called Dodge Junction, which was very similar to Appleloosa. There were Western style buildings and hot desert floor, along with the sun shining brightly down onto the town. People trotted around; some ponies, pulling large chariots. Zack with the compass gripped tightly in his hand, turned into Twilight.

"Nice disguise. Don't want 'em people busting you out." Applejack complimented, for the first time in awhile. Zack gave her a wink. Although it was possible that that Comarisis hadn't put the posters up yet, Zack knew it wasn't wise to take his chances. These people didn't know of Zack's good intentions, after all.

"Thanks. Now we need to find Comarisis before he can get away." Zack replied, in Twilight's voice. They waddled quickly through the town, avoiding large chariots passing by and ignoring annoying cherry sellers. In front of them, they saw a large western mint-green building was a large poster of Zack on it. Zack tried his hardest not to scowl. He turned his head, looking all around the tiny town, but there was no sign of whom put up such poster.

"Look, Zack, are ya sure I can help?" Applejack asked, a few feet away from Zack. It seemed like she wanted to be at home on the farm, as she her face didn't show too much joy or empathy. She looked kind of like she felt a bit useless. Zack nodded reassuringly.

"You'll find out when you can help." He answered, causing her to groan. "Come on, we better keep-" His voice was interrupted by a scream from the west side of Dodge. Zack and Applejack followed the sound and tried not to bump into any of the fleeing people, covering their heads and praying for mercy. One of the old, wooden western buildings had a large, fiery-hot red thing shaped like a sausage whirling around it. Zack and Applejack stared at in horror, breathless for a few moments. Then it vaporised, fizzing like soda. Zack stared at the black mark it had left on the old, western building.

"There's somethin' behind the building." Applejack hissed to him, as they crept silently past the slightly-burnt building. Something was definitely behind it. Applejack and Zack leaned against the side of the building wall like spies, the dragon in front. He peered at the back, and saw a twitchy, pale blue, nervous dragon putting a poster on the back of the building. The blue dragon put a slap of glue in the corner, then pushed smoothly down onto the poster, making it stick. He sighed sadly, then tightly clutched his glue bucket and his pile of posters, then turned to move on. Zack's eyes widened. There was no doubt they had found Comarisis.

"Excuse me!" Zack cried, still in Twilight's body. The skimpy dragon turned around apprehensively and faced Zack, even in Twilight's body, was much taller than him. The blue dragon also noted the orange, blonde-haired girl standing behind the purple one, with her arms crossed.

"U-uh.. C-Can I h-help you, Madam?" Comarisis asked, in a high-pitched, unsure, shifty voice. He bowed his head a little, as if Zack was going to beat him up.

"What are you doing?" Zack asked calmly, in Twilight's voice. Comarisis took a step back, shivering like it was mid-winter.

"Uh.. P-putting.. Up p-posters for a w-wanted c-c-criminal.." He answered, feeling even smaller than before.

"Oh. And who is this 'wanted criminal'?" Zack questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"T-The P-P-Phantom.. Dragon.." Comarisis answered, opening his weak, bony wings. Zack took one step closer, Applejack watching suspiciously in the background.

"You don't have to do this, y'know," Zack said, suddenly kind, as he stared at the blue dragon with sympathy, _"Comarisis."_

Comarisis' eyes filled with pure horror. "H-How do you know my name?!" He started to flap his wings, but Zack quickly transformed into himself and used his powers to freeze the blue one before he could escape. Comarisis stared up at the now-normal Zack, completely lost for words. "You're.. You're T-The Phantom _D-D-Dragon.._ "

"That's right. And I want you to stop putting these posters up." Zack scowled, destroying the poster on the building by pointing at it. It exploded into a pile of ash. Comarisis looked petrified.

"I can't! I'll get in trouble with my master-"

"Draco?"

"Yes! Draco! Wait.. How do you know-"

"I also know that you were sent to put posters in the areas residents don't know my good side. So if they see me, they'll call up Draco and take the cash. Does that plan sound familiar to you?" Comarisis somehow managed to display even more horror. How did The Phantom Dragon know of such events?

"H-H..How.. _HOW?!_ " Comarisis spluttered, his eyes going wide. Zack kept his gaze on the blue dragon.

"Your Draco is messing with the wrong force, Comarisis. I think he's underestimating me & my friends. And because of working for him, so are you." Zack boomed, pointing at the pile of ash, his stare on the blue dragon. Comarisis shook his head in disbelief.

"I have no choice! I have to work for him, even though I hate it! If I don't he'll kill me! HE'LL _KILL_ ME!" The blue one screamed, sweating like a madman. Zack kneeled down to him.

"Look, Comarisis. You don't have to work for him. You can join me. You can join my friends. You can join the right side. Trust me, I won't let that Draco come anywhere near you." Zack whispered kindly, as Comarisis shivered and bit his lip. Zack made the forces holding him let go, relaxing the blue dragon.

"Do you promise?" Comarisis asked, clutching his legs to his chest.

"Yes," Zack replied, shaking Comarisis' claw and helping the dragon to his feet. Zack turned to Applejack. "Comarisis, this is Applejack, she's one of my friends." The country girl beamed.

"Howdy there, sugarcube!" She said, shaking Comarisis' tiny, weak claw. The little blue dragon nodded in acknowledgement.

"Oh, how _LOVELY_." A raspy, but deadly voice hissed above them. There was a blast of fire and smoke, making the trio cough. A lady appeared before them, with a wicked grin. She had scarlet, silky, hair and deep red eyes. She had a dress that seemed to be made out of thick ash and smoke was coming off it, as if she had just walked out of a volcano. She had sharp red nails and tomato-red, slightly burnt skin. The fiery lady glared at Comarisis, and the dragon loped off to the side, his fearful expression returning. Then she faced Zack and Applejack.

"Who are you?" Zack asked, with a mixture of aggression and fear. The lady cackled.

"None of your business, you great lizard," She hissed, closing her eyes for a moment. A blade made completely out of bustling fire appeared in her hand, almost blinding Zack. In her other hand, she had a shield made out of ash as hard as rock, with a fire design imprinted on the front. Comarisis squealed and bolted into the nearest building before she could set her gaze on him. Instead, the fiery girl stared straight at Zack.

"Do you work for Draco?" Zack growled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Applejack took off her sweet smile and made a similar pose. The lady purred.

"What do you think? Now be a good boy and hand yourself over," She said, winking at Zack. "After all, you would make a lovely pet." She made a little flirtatious gesture towards him.

"For the sake of mah _lavishing_ friends, Zack is NOT interested in ya wishes!" Applejack scowled, crossing her arms. The enemy scowled and suddenly morphed into a Magma serpent, with a long thick tail and ash scales. She slithered across the ground, leaving her burn marks in it. She whipped her tail onto Applejack, sending the orange girl flying into the building with Comarisis inside.

"Alright, I'm _DEFINITELY_ not interested in your wishes!" Zack growled, taking flight. He shot a few power discs at the magma serpent, which hissed and slithered away, avoiding them. The serpent turned back into herself and jumped behind Zack, bringing him down to the ground, almost breaking his arm and burning his skin. Zack turned around and saw the Magma serpent holding her fire blade from above. She dropped it. Zack quickly rolled out of the way and jumped to his feet. He took flight and shot a blast of magic at the serpent. She used her shield, which blocked out the attack. Then, the serpent's hand lit up, and she shot a blast of fire at the dragon boy. Zack used his shield to defend himself.

"This could be so much easier if you would just hand yourself over," Sighed the serpent. Zack's hands started to glow with black energy. She groaned and shielded the attack again. "Come on, you can't win, give up."

"YOU DON'T KNOW _ANYTHING!_ " Zack boomed, firing out an energy blast from his fist. The magma serpent leaped out of the way, so he tried using ecto waves. The sharp waves crumbled the ground, but didn't touch the serpent.

"Nice powers, but you're going to have to do better than that!" Cried the serpent, shooting blasts of fire at him. Zack used his white, translucent mirror shield, which sent the fire bolts back to the serpent. However, they did no damage to her whatsoever. She just laughed.

"If ya think that's funny, then look at this!" Applejack cried, jumping into the serpent's back, and knocking her face first into the ground, spreading ash everywhere. The serpent spat out some dirt then got on two feet and faced the orange girl. An evil smile spread on the serpent's face.

"Oh, come on, you're just an Earth pony. How could you ever possibly be _helpful?_ " She spat. Applejack was not amused by this at all and punched her in the face.

"Good one, AJ!" Zack cheered, bolting up to the dizzy serpent. Using his paralyzing touch, he touched her boiling hot skin and she passed out on the spot. Applejack just nodded, adjusting her hat. Suddenly, the magma serpent shifted and turned around, sitting up and facing them.

"You won this time, dragon-boy. But I will be _back.._ " She hissed, turning into a magma serpent and slithering away, leaving her burn mark behind her. Zack and Applejack glanced at each other, before the latter looked away.

"Where's Comarisis?" Zack asked, looking around. The little, blue skimpy dragon popped his head out of the building he was hiding in. He gave the two a hesitant wave. Zack waved back, then grinned at Applejack. "Seriously, AJ, well done. You managed to take her out when I couldn't. I told you you'd be helpful."

"Thanks. But lemme' just tell ya; ya don't always need to use your powers to take down an ole' villain, sugarcube." Applejack said, as the frightful Comarisis waddled over to them.

"W-W-Wow.. I can't believe you d-d-d-defeated _her.._ " He gasped, as he stared up at them with shock. Applejack winked at him and Zack laughed.

"Come on, we better get back. I have a lot to say to Princess Celestia." Zack said, as the three stood together, ready to leave Dodge Junction. But the dragon boy couldn't stop thinking about his and Applejack's relationship. He knew that he was never quite as close to her as the other girls, and maybe that was okay. He and Applejack could still call each other friends, and that was all that mattered.


	15. The Best Night Ever

Zack felt excitement. Today was a very special day for all of Equestria. He slipped on a red shirt, a grey trench coat with a picture of a dragon skull, a black waistcoat matching his shoes, gloves and trousers and finally, a top hat on the top of his head which was shaped like a crown. He passed by Spike while getting near the library door.

"Spike, are you coming?" Zack asked. The dragon shook his head.

"Nah, staying here. Have fun. I'm teaching Comrasis the wonders of using a feather duster." Spike dismissed Zack, just before giving each other a quick wave. Zack headed outside to a stone path where all of his friends were roaming, with Canterlot in the background, shining brightly.

"Hey girls. What's up?" Zack asked, tipping his top hat to the side. The girls stopped chatting amongst themselves and faced the dragon boy. They all blushed, eyeing him from top to bottom, speechless and their hearts beating like drums. Applejack quickly excused herself from her friends, though her cheeks were slightly tainted.

Twilight cleared her throat. "Okay, now that Zack's here, we can go." Zack noticed her outfit.

She was wearing a dark blue, silky dress covered with white stars and a star necklace connecting it around her neck. Rainbow Dash was wearing a rainbow dress which matched her mane and was lined with cloud-like fluff. There was a golden, leaf headband over her head and her hair was in a ponytail. Applejack was wearing a green-apple dress, decorated with apples and a apple necklace over her neck, as well as her hair braided. Fluttershy had a green, soft, nature-like dress with a leafy, flower necklace and flowers in her flowy hair. Pinkie Pie's dress was white and blue, decorated like a candy wrapper and a little hat on her head. Finally, Rarity's dress was purple and looked like a princess', with a crown on her head and jewels on her wrists.

"You all look great!" Zack admired, grinning at them. They blushed again.

"Aw, you're too sweet, Zack. Now, let's go." Twilight gestured to a golden carriage, which was being pulled by two stallions. They all climbed in, sitting down onto the marble seats. Zack felt a little bad for the stallions, so using his powers, he made the carriage as light as a feather, so the stallions found it easy to pull.

* * *

A little while later, the group arrived at Canterlot Castle. The beautiful castle was even more beautiful. There were lights coming from within the marble walls and the garden was decorated with lights, flowers and colourful food stalls. It was something beyond Zack's wildest imagination. There were also many glorious smells and people pushing creamy cakes around.

"The Grand Galloping Gala.." Admired Twilight, as she and her friends all gaped at the beautiful place, getting off their carriage. Then she grinned. "Okay, well, I'll be off. Wanna come with me, Zack?" There was a hint of triumph in her eyes as she glanced at the other jealous girls.

"Sure!" Zack answered happily. The others sighed depressingly, but then their faces lit up with the thought of their Gala fantasies. The girls split up, agreeing to meet up later to discuss their 'Best Night Ever'. Zack followed Twilight, but before he did that, he quickly made 5 duplicates of himself to follow the 5 other girls. And so the journey begun.

Twilight and the original Zack headed inside the castle, which was decorated with confetti, and a long set of stairs. People were all around them, chatting to each other. Zack and Twilight trotted along the red carpet, gazing up at the shiny, marble roof. Princess Celestia was at the top of the set of stairs, where Twilight gasped.

"Let's go and see Celestia. This is a good time to report to her about all the news." The purple girl spoke, as Zack and her trotted up the stairs, next to the Princess.

"Ah, Zack and Twilight! How are you?" Celestia asked, smiling down at the two.

"Yeah, we're good. Anyway, Zack is here to tell you about his studies, aren't you Zack?" Twilight nudged the boy, winking at him. He smiled.

"Yes, I am. Now, the other day.." Zack paused, realizing that Celestia was greeting some important people. "Oh.. sorry.."

"Huh? What was that?" Celestia asked, gesturing for him to continue. Zack nodded.

"So, the other day-"

"Celestia!" A voice cried, and more people started greeting the ruler. Zack and Twilight shrugged at each other.

* * *

Fluttershy and Zack's 3rd clone trotted through the wondrous garden. All the plants were neatly organized and bloomed, showing off their bold colours. Shimmering lights covered the entire garden, looking just like the stars.

"Oh, there are so many wonderful critters here, Zack's clone," Fluttershy chirped, glancing all around them. "I wanna see if I can try and find some."

"Okay," Zack's clone replied, looking around, "Do you know where to find any?"

Fluttershy perked up her ears, her face showing excitement. "Can you hear that?" A faint whistling sound echoed through the air. She gasped excitedly, squealing. "It's a bird! It must be!" She followed the sound, bouncing lightly on her feet, singing along to it. Zack's clone followed along, feeling a bit suspicious and scared. The yellow girl eventually found the source of the whistling, which happened to be one of the workers, raking the ground.

"I love whistling while I work!" Greenhooves sang, raking the ground and whistling. Fluttershy bowed her head, and Zack's clone patted her shoulder.

"Maybe there's more animals?" The clone suggested, shrugging. Fluttershy's eyes lit up.

"More animals! That's _it_!" The yellow girl cried, jumping in the air for joy. She hurriedly ran over to one of the gardens and pulled out a long, orange carrot, soil spluttering everywhere. Then she flew off for a few moments, her wings beating, before she returned, holding a cardboard box from one of the food stalls, along with some rope. She bolted over to a flat field of grass, surrounded by gardens and trees. Fluttershy tied the rope to the carrot, then balanced the box up with a stick. Finally, she tied the rope to the stick, the carrot sticking out.

"Um.." Zack's clone began, nervously eyeing the plan and scratching his head. Fluttershy grinned, almost evilly.

"Catching an animal! Now hush, we must hide!" Fluttershy cried, grabbing Zack's clone's wrist and pulling him with her behind a bush.

"Is this really a good idea?" The clone apprehensively asked. Fluttershy shushed him, eyeing the box with determination.

* * *

Zack's 2nd clone followed Pinkie Pie through another part of the castle, which had music, posh ponies, and tables overflowing with food. Pinkie Pie, with her curls dancing, skipped through the middle of the crowd.

"This is pretty crazy!" Zack's clone admired everyone in their posh clothing, then the people playing orchestral music. Pinkie giggled.

"I know!" She cried. Her dress really stood out from these posh people; her bright, pink colours against their dark greens and blues. "I think this room could use a little kick of energy!" She inhaled loudly, then began to sing and dance. Everyone stopped and stared at her like she was some sort of unwanted creature. The only one who didn't give her this look was Zack's clone. The Pink girl jumped around, singing about how much she loved the Gala. However, the overwhelming stares brought her down, and she stopped singing, landing next to Zack. Her face blushed; for once not because of Zack. Everyone was silent for a few moments. Then, they resumed back to their activities, and Pinkie bowed her head.

"Nevermind Pinkie, I thought you were great," Zack's clone comforted, rubbing Pinkie's shoulder. "Look, how about we get some punch?" The two of them trotted over to one of laced tables, which was covered with food. Zack's clone poured Pinkie a cup of sugary, fruity punch. The pink girl sipped it slowly, but she didn't seem to feel any better. Zack's clone grinned at her. "Don't worry Pink, you're that type of girl who can lighten up a party anywhere. Don't be ashamed that you couldn't solve one."

Suddenly Pinkie gasped, and dropped her punch. "That's it! I have an idea!" She bolted out to the orchestra people, whispering excitedly to them. Zack's clone raised an eyebrow, getting a bad feeling.

* * *

Zack's 5th clone and Applejack set up the girl's food stand. It was filled with hot, steamy apple pies, apple crisps, apple fritters, and any apple-related food. Applejack was a bit skeptical about Zack's clone's help, but she allowed him to come anyway. The stand was placed right in the royal garden, near some white poles, and people everywhere in front of them. The stand was made out of wood, and showed designs of painted apples and swirls. Applejack and Zack's clone stood behind it, waving to any nearby customers who showed interest in buying something. One of the members of the Wonderbolts came and bought himself an apple pie. Applejack happily put the bits in the chest, grinning.

"We already sold one product! _YEEHAW_!" The country girl cried happily, clapping her hands. Zack's clone grinned and the two of them eagerly looked around for more customers. Five minutes passed, and no one came. Applejack's smile started to deflate.

"Nevermind AJ, I'll buy something." Zack's clone said, getting some bits out of his pocket. But Applejack waved them down.

"That's mighty nice of you sugarcube, but keep your bits. I kinda want some, y'know, _real_ customers." The girl replied solemnly. Zack's clone nodded, patting her shoulder.

"Maybe we just need to wait a little longer." He suggested, shrugging. Applejack sighed, knowing there was nothing better to do. They waited another few minutes, but not one product was sold. Applejack was starting to get a little twitchy.

"I don't think waiting's going to solve it, Zack," She spoke, with a glint in her eyes, "I have an idea." There was a bucket of fresh apples nearby her stand. While she was picking up the apples, she was eyeing a nearby innocent person nearby. She chucked the apple up and down in her hand, ready to throw it. But Zack's clone stopped her.

"No. That's not the problem, AJ. They're getting their food from _hors d'œuvres_ rather than your food." Zack's clone gestured to a different food stand, which was selling a posh food. Applejack placed down her apple and nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right, Zack. Thankfully I have somethin' better." Applejack's face was a twist of ideas and imagination. Zack's clone gulped. He hoped this wasn't something bad..

* * *

Rainbow Dash and Zack's 1st clone wondered around the beautiful area of the Gala. There were tall, marble poles and a marble roof over their head, and endless food tables. Colours were spotted all over the room, the light pushing through the mosaics on the wall. There was an area which had people roaming around inside it, surrounded by a red ribbon. A man, with spiky, dark blue hair and holding a pie walked past, grinning hungrily. Suddenly he dropped his pie, and it began to plummet. However, a certain blue, rainbow-haired pegasus flew underneath his arms and caught it. She gave it back to him, and he grinned.

"Thanks!" The man spoke, clutching his pie. One of the ladies in the V.I.P section turned her head and faced Rainbow Dash and Zack.

"Hey! I remember you two! You were ones that saved us!" She cried, grinning. She had fiery, spiky hair that was shaped like a mohawk. Her fiery hair matched her amber eyes, and her Wonderbolt costume.

"Well, it was more Rainbow Dash than me." Zack's clone pointed out, patting Dash's shoulder. She winked at him. The lady smiled and opened the red ribbon.

"Then come on in!" She cried, gesturing them into the V.I.P section. Dash squealed like a fangirl and bolted inside, the boy laughing and following behind her. The V.I.P area had tons of food tables, guests, and wondrous decorations. Rainbow Dash's eyes were on the Wonderbolts. Her fangirl had taken over her. 'Excited' was an understatement to describe her appearance. She rushed up to Spitfire, leaving Zack's clone in the dust.

"Wow.." Dash spoke breathlessly, as Spitfire chuckled. The man, chomping down into his pie interrupted them. Spitfire rolled her eyes.

"That's Soarin. He does have a bit of an appetite. Oh, and I'm Spitfire," The Wonderbolt spoke, shaking an astonished Dash's and an excited Zack's clone's hands. "Who are you two anyway?"

"Name's Rainbow Dash," The blue girl answered cooly, although deep down inside her heart was racing with glee. She cocked her head over at Zack's clone. "That's Zack."

"Nice to meet you both." Spitfire greeted. She was about to say more, but she was interrupted by a horde of guests, so she faced them instead and lost interest in the two. Dash raised an eyebrow, as soon all of the Wonderbolts began discussing to guests and others.

"Huh. They don't seem to see me," Dash muttered to herself. "Maybe.." She ran over to one of the tables and hit it furiously, sending a jug flying. She leaped into the air and caught it brilliantly. The Wonderbolts gazed her for a semi-second, before they turned away. Dash scowled.

* * *

Zack's 4th clone had gotten a bit lost. Rarity had dashed off in the blink of an eye, so he couldn't exactly find her. He searched through the beautiful, royal garden for the unicorn. He couldn't find her there, so he moved back inside the castle. He soon found Rarity pursuing a handsome, blonde haired man. His skin was as white as snow and his eyes were a pale blue. He was wearing a white tuxedo with a little rose on his chest. Zack's clone raised an eyebrow at such man. The two of them were gazing over one of the inside gardens near the mosaics. Zack's clone hovered a few feet in the air and watched as Rarity pointed out a rose. The man, called Prince Blueblood picked up the rose for himself.

"It compliments my eyes." He spoke grandly. Rarity chuckled in agreement, though there was hidden aggression in her eyes. Then, the two moved on elsewhere, making general conversation. They soon arrived at a puddle of punch on the middle of the floor, where the Prince used Rarity's scarf so they could cross it. The girl looked a little more steamy, but she kept her composure. They finally both arrived at the entrance of the Garden. There was a large, marble door in front of them, decorated with golden swirls.

"Well.." Rarity eye gestured up at the door, waiting for the prince to open it. He scoffed and turned up his nose, flicking his hair. Rarity gritted her teeth and used her magic to open the door. Zack trotted behind them, making sure to stay a few feet behind. Rarity was a little more annoyed. The two of them approached Applejack's booth, where it was left unoccupied, with a sign saying 'Howdy Y'all! This still is currently unoccupied, but feel free to buy anything you wish!'

"Shall you pay?" Rarity politely asked. The prince snorted and held up his nose.

"Princes do not pay." He scoffed, crossing his arms. Rarity scowled.

"But.. gentlemen _do_!"

"Princes. Do _not_. Pay. You pay." Rarity was outraged by this statement. Zack's clone shared in her rage. He flew down from his spot and appeared right next to the prince. Using his powers, he picked up one of the apple pies and launched it at Blueblood's face, then knocked him out with one punch, apple pie still dripping from his face. Rarity gasped and whirled around, elated to see her friend.

"Zack!" She cried happily, her cheeks blushing. "Wow.. you are real gentleman and you know _how_ to treat a lady." Zack's clone grinned at this.

"Come on, let's go back inside." He offered to take Rarity's hand, which made her face go a bright scarlet. The two walked inside the building, ready to find the others.

* * *

The original Zack and Twilight had been shaking hands for ages. Both of them were getting tired, and Twilight's hand was getting limp.

"Come on Twilight, let's go get some punch. We need a break anyway." Zack offered. Twilight sighed reluctantly, staring at her teacher one more time, before following Zack down the stairs. They went over to the large ballroom, with a high, marble ceiling and food tables everywhere. People slow-danced to the soft music, while Zack and Twilight gently made their way through to the table with punch. Suddenly, the music became much more upbeat, and an all-familiar voice rung through the air.

"Do the Pony Pokey and you turn around!" Pinkie loudly sang, one of Zack's clones in the background doing all the special effects, which was a display of lights and confetti. Then, another one of Zack's clones, with Rarity entered the room, holding hands. Another door opened, and this time the Wonderbolts entered, holding up their heads, Dash and Zack's clone following behind. Dash looked rather mad. Fluttershy burst through a different door, chasing a few of the woodland creatures. Zack's clone nervously trailed behind her, trying not to cringe. Finally, Applejack and another one of Zack's clones came through the door, both of them wheeling a large, frosted cake, with rich pink icing. Zack gazed at all of his friends and clones in one room, feeling rather odd. Suddenly, he felt a strange feeling at the back of his head. He clutched it with his hands, sensing something.. _Bad_ nearby..

"Are you okay, Zack?" Twilight questioned with concern, raising an eyebrow. He stared at her with shock.

"There is something coming, Twi. Something coming. _Something_ -"

He was interrupted by a ferocious explosion. The top of the roof exploded in a crumble of dust and rocks, letting in the moonlight. Everyone in the room paused and gazed up at the roof. Something quick and red came down from it, landing in the middle of the floor. There were screams from all around the room, and everyone began to flee. The red creature floated down in a puff of smoke. Zack's eyes widened when he saw who it was.

"Remember me, Zack?" The creature hissed, being none other than the one he and Applejack had met in Dodge Junction. She was holding something in her fiery red hand. Zack gasped. It was Comraisis! He looked poor and weak, dangling from the villain's grip. How did she find him? But Zack decided he would worry about that later. For now, it was her.

"Let him go!" Zack growled, clenching his fists.

"No," The serpent replied, shaking her head, her long hair swaying, "Not until you come with me. Then I'll let the traitor go."

"No! Please!" Comraisis innocently begged, his little blue dragon wings drooping. The serpent gestured Zack to come with her.

"Come on, come here." She hissed, slowly and softly. Zack cocked his head to the side, feeling unusual. Something smelt off with her.. Something wasn't right. She didn't seem to be doing anything naturally.. Something was definitely off. Then Zack gasped.

She was under a spell.

Zack gasped. She was innocent.. She was under a _spell._

"Not going to come?" The serpent questioned, showing her fangs. "Then I'll make you!" She turned into a fiery red serpent, her trail making burn marks in the ground. The dazed Comraisis flopped onto the floor. Zack stared at his surprised friends.

"Guys! Get everyone else out of here!" Zack ordered at his friends. They immediately set to work, rushing all over the castle to free everyone. Applejack picked up the weak Comraisis in her arms and carried him off to the side. Out of the corner of Zack's eye, he saw the little blue dragon whisper something to the orange girl and she dropped him under a food table.

The serpent hissed, targeting for Zack. She launched forward, baring her fangs and biting into Zack's neck. However, the dragon boy felt no pain. In fact, he didn't even get hurt. Instead, he gently tugged the serpent out and tossed her onto the floor. While she was there, Zack used his mind-reading powers to tap into her mind. He could hear stressed voices, and the deathly red eyes of the one known as Draco.

 _"He hurt your species, Mayla." The deadly dragon hissed, his red eyes glowing._

 _"The Phantom Dragon?" She asked, her voice frail and thin._

 _"Yes. He poisoned them all. Every single one. Don't you want revenge? On the one who did this to your family and friends? Your species?" Draco hissed, making Mayla shiver._

 _"Yes.. Yes.. I want revenge.." She muttered, her head overcome with spell. "I want revenge."_

 _Draco grinned. "Then go and catch the dragon. The money will be able to solve the dying sickness." He said this with a horrible look in his eyes._

The voices suddenly became blurry, and Zack was zoomed back to the now. Draco was manipulating her.. _Lying_.. But then if Zack didn't poison her species, who did? Mayla was gritting her teeth and getting ready to charge again. This time in her human form, she leaped towards Zack, holding the same sword as before and swung it down. The boy dodged the blade of the sword, his hands lighting up with power. He chucked a power disc at Mayla, which she shielded using her fire shield. Then she kicked him in the chest with impressive strength, sending him flying into one of the many food tables.

"Well, at least she's not as disgusting as the Goblin King." Zack scowled, wiping some sticky punch off his face. Mayla come forth once again, this time as a snake. Zack leaped off the table, hovering in mid-air. Memories from the past fight floated into his head. Applejack's face appeared in his head, and so did her words: _'Ya don't always need to use your powers to take down an ole' villain, sugarcube'._

Zack let the power from his hands vanish. He floated down to the ground, where the girl, now as a human, ran up to him. Using martial arts, he kicked her in the arm, where she trailed backwards.

"No!" Mayla stormed, her hands equipping the sword and shield. She charged towards him, holding out the sword. Mayla managed to whack him onto the ground, where he became like a tight ball. As she charged towards him again, Zack wrapped his body together and began to feel power within him once again. She leaped towards him when suddenly, Zack used Haoshoku Haki and using his willpower, he knocked her into the floor and onto her side. He got to his feet and ran to her side.

"Mayla?" Zack asked, staring into her red eyes. She was clutching her side, trying not to groan or cry.

"H.. How do you know my name?" Mayla breathed weakly, but there was still a bit of aggression in her voice.

"That's not the only thing I know," Zack spoke calmly, leaning down next to her. "Draco lied to you."

Mayla looked stunned. "W-what do you mean?"

Zack dipped his head. "Draco lied to you. I never put that dying sickness on your species. Someone else did. I don't know who, but it wasn't me."

Mayla scowled. "Don't _lie!"_

Zack bit his lip. "I'm not lying! It's the truth," He gazed at her sympathetically. She scowled and gazed away. "Mayla, I can help you find out who really made them sick. But you have to trust me first."

"Well, too bad, because I don't! Draco said-"

"Draco lied to you. He put you under a spell. He twisted and manipulated you into coming after me. It's his fault. He did this to you." Zack explained calmly. Mayla gasped suddenly, shaking her head. Zack held out his hand, giving her a smile. She frightfully accepted it, though she still seemed a bit skeptical.

"Can you really help me?" Mayla whispered, wobbling as she got to her feet. Zack nodded.

"Um.. Excuse me.." A voice spoke nearby the two. They both stared down and saw the little Comraisis waving up them. "Mayla.. Did you say you want to find out who really poisoned your species?"

"You know?" Mayla questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. But Draco swore me to secrecy." Comraisis explained, shivering.

"So.. then who did it?" Zack questioned.

Comraisis gulped. "Draco himself and his army."

* * *

Zack had figured out a plan. He and Mayla had discussed this horrible sickness which was poisoning Mayla's entire species. Draco had told her that Zack had given her species such disease and if she brought him Zack, he would give her the bounty to cure it. She was furious when she discovered the truth, just as Zack. Together, they had decided to go to Mayla's hometown, where Zack would use his powers to help the ones living there.

They soon arrived in Mayla's home land. It was an interesting place, with dirt floors and tall, wooden buildings. The streets looked as though they were once full of life. But now they were nothing but a bunch of dark wooden buildings, with clouded windows. Mayla bowed her head.

"Welcome to my home." She sighed depressingly. Zack rubbed her snake-like shoulder.

"It's beautiful. But where is everyone?" He asked, staring all around the deserted town. Mayla sighed once more.

"Sick and inside. They'll never get better. Everyone's going to die out." The red girl wiped back a tear. The dragon suddenly felt of positive inspiration.

"No. Not on my watch." Zack cried, suddenly feeling that soft, floating feeling. Waves of golden surrounded him, and he levitated in the air, full of power. His eyes glowed golden, then suddenly, a whole sonic boom of pure anti-virus soared through the air, over each and every house. The power exploded everything in pure white, and then there was silence.

Zack slowly floated onto the ground, his wings flapping softly.

"Zack.. You did it!" Mayla cried, appearing next to him. The two of them stared around, seeing a bunch of Lamia coming out from their homes, looking fresh. They all had snake tails as lower bodies and human bodies as their uppers. They were all examining themselves, realizing that they had been freed from the disease. Mayla herself was quite a sight.

She had long, bright red hair and amber eyes with slitted snake pupils. Her ears were large, pointy and red and she had fangs and a long tongue. She also had small scales on her cheeks and wore a yellow 'D' clip on each side of her head. She also had a curvy upper body figure. Like the other Lamia, she had a long, red tail which was her torso downwards.

"And don't worry about that Draco ever again. I put a shield all around your hometown so you'll never deal with him or his army again." Zack comforted. She grinned.

"How can I ever repay you?" Mayla asked, with a big smile, as she stared at all the healed species.

Zack grinned. "Don't work for anymore evil people ever again and don't crash the Grand Galloping Gala."

"Is that all?" She asked.

"Don't harm the innocent, oh, and you can help me defeat Draco. I'm sure you know a thing or two about him." Zack replied. Mayla grinned.

"Well, Comraisis probably knows more, but I can tell as much as you want to know." The Lamia answered. Zack nodded, eagerly wanting to know more.

"Thanks. But how did you find Comraisis?" The question came out of his lips before he could stop it.

"Well, I tracked him down and found him at a library, helping this other dragon clean the floor." Mayla answered thoughtfully. Zack nodded in agreement. He seemed to be focusing on Mayla, but in truth, he was deep in thought. That wicked Draco had harmed an innocent species. Zack knew that Draco could do worse things too, and this scared Zack. But the dragon knew he had friends on his side. And that's what Draco didn't have.


	16. The Return of Harmony

"Keep them shut.." Twilight's voice echoed through Zack's ears, as he slowly stepped forward. All he could see was the darkness of his eyelids, and feel his own breathing. Twilight's purple hand was on his wrist, pulling him to an unidentified location. "Okay! Open your eyes!"

Zack's eyes fluttered open as he gazed out in front of him. It was a dark cave, made out of thick metal, built with a door in front. He awwed at it, admiring every detail. What was this? He glanced at Twilight in confusion. She smiled back at him.

"It's all yours," She gestured him to enter. "Your new home."

Zack couldn't rip the grin off his face. He bolted inside, beaming at the metal walls, and neatly furnished display in front of him. There was a large, grey beanbag, stuffed with softness, built-in shelves, and a little room for his bedroom. As well as a box for all of his root beer.

"I.. I.. don't know what to say.." Zack gaped, almost drooling from the astonishment. Twilight chuckled.

"It's from Princess Celestia. A thank you gift for dealing with the Gala-crasher." She said, with a glint in her eye. She handed him a rolled up scroll. Zack opened it, scanning the words.

 _Dear Zack,_

 _As much as you enjoy sleeping in Twilight's spare room, I think you would appreciate your own little house better. But this is not just for that reason. It is a thank you, from all over Equestria, for saving us once again. You are proving your worth to all of us. I am becoming more confident that you will be able to defeat Draco._

 _Mayla, the crasher, deeply apologized to me and asked if I could tell you some things about her species. She says that her species are half snake, half human. They were originally meant to be eaters of children and considered horrible monsters. Because of this, they moved to a different village. However, then the wicked Draco cursed them with the illness, leaving Mayla. He made her come after you._

 _But now the species is better, and Mayla could not be more thankful. She also admitted to me that you are a cute dragon and she is welcome to answer any of your questions. She also asked for you to take good care of Comrasis._

 _Thank you again and I hope to see you soon!_

 _Your most faithful, Princess Celestia._

Zack's eyes lit up as he finished the letter. He hadn't realised that Twilight was shuffling around the background, performing some spring cleaning. She shrugged when he spotted her. "Where's Comrasis?" Zack asked, as she pulled her feather duster away.

"I think he's at Applejacks," Twilight answered, "I asked him if he wanted to stay in this room. He said he isn't a fan of caves."

Zack rolled his eyes. "That little guy doesn't like much. Oh well. He's been serving Draco for a long time, so I guess you can't blame him. Anyway, what's he doing at Applejack's?"

Twilight shrugged. "I don't know. He just told me he was going over there. I think he and Applejack have a friendship."

Zack couldn't help but smile. "That's cute," Then he checked his watch, his grin growing wider. "Hey, it's nearly lunch. Wanna go to the hayburger restaurant?" Twilight didn't reply. She just flashed an ecstatic grin and raced out the door. Zack chuckled and flew after her.

* * *

Far, far away from our heroes was a dark lair. If one was to trot into this lair, they would be overwhelmed with fear. The walls were burnt with silt and lava streamed down from every corner. Smoke was everywhere to the visible eye, covering the roof in a thick tar. Through all of this, a thunderous stomping noise could be heard.

"Those fools.." An angry voice muttered, the stomps growing louder. It was none other than Draco, the dark dragon that had caused the chaos through Equestria. His face expressed frustration as he stormed through his lair. He had been betrayed by his apprentice, the serpent girl and his Goblin army were locked up in jail. He hadn't taken these lightly. "Obviously many cannot be trusted," Draco growled. "I shall use another.. No.. They will do no better.. I shall have to take matters into my own claws. Though alone I would be powerful, I want more than that. I want to be unstoppable. And I think I know who I need.." Draco used his dark powers to summon somebody. Smoke, dust and wind whirled through the lair, before this somebody appeared.

"Draco!" A voice cried. "You needed my help?" The draconequus revealed himself. He stroked his goat's beard, smiling at the dragon. Then he grabbed a hair dryer out of thin air and used it on his beard. "Sorry if I'm a little out of shape. Been made out of stone for quite a while." He said, shaking his head.

Draco sighed. "You are fine. Regardless, I require your assistance. An alliance. You and I work together to defeat the Phantom Dragon, and we will have Equestria for ourselves. I do not believe that I will be able to stop the young master on my own. But with your help, it should be easy."

Discord was thoughtful. "You want me to make an alliance with you?" The dark dragon nodded. Discord smiled. "Well.. I'll think about it.." A pile of papers and pens appeared in front of the draconequus, and he read over them, like a business man. "Hm.. How much of Equestria do I get?"

Draco's face split into a horrible grin. "Half. But do not look at me like that. Half is quite a lot. Half is all yours. All yours to rule. All you must do is join me."

Discord tapped his claws together. "I was going to take over Equestria anyway. The more the merrier, right?"

* * *

Something strange was happening in Ponyville. Instead of normal water, it was raining chocolate milk, from cotton candy clouds. The apples on the apple trees had grown so much that they pulled down the trees. All the rabbits' legs had become like gazelle legs, and they were sprinting all over Ponyville.

Zack and Twilight bolted towards Applejack's farm, where the rest of the mane 6 had gathered (Comrasis had become frightened and retreated to the library, which didn't surprise anypony). Twilight stood in the middle of the farm, surrounded by dirt and mud. She turned into a unicorn and took a deep breath in.

"It's time for my new fail-safe spell!" She cried, her horn lighting up a fluoro pink. Dark purple magic swept over the land, the unicorn's mane flowing. But nothing happened, surprising the group. Twilight grumbled something under her breath and transformed back into a person. She was about to order everyone around when suddenly Spike appeared behind them, panting.

"A message.. From Celestia.." He breathed, a scroll in his claws. Twilight picked it up and scanned over it, reading every word. Her eyes widened. "Everypony, we need to go to Canterlot."

* * *

The 6 girls and one boy headed straight to Canterlot castle, going into the corridor. It was filled with beautiful stained glass, with illustrations of Equestrian miracles. As incredible as it was, there was no time to admire the beauty. The group found Princess Celestia, with an almost battle-scarred expression on her face stare down at them.

"Princess Celestia! We got here as quick as we could." Twilight panted, her forehead dotted with sweat. Celestia nodded in acknowledgment.

"This may seem shocking, especially to you, Zack. Unfortunately, Discord, the spirit of chaos, and.. The spirit of punishment, Draco, have formed an alliance to take over Equestria and place it in eternal chaos and to destroy you, Zack," Celestia paused, examining the shocked faces of her subjects. "However, we can use the Elements of Harmony to defeat them. And I know that Zack knows about Draco." Zack nodded apprehensively at this statement.

Celestia trotted along the royal carpet, across to the end of the corridor. There was a display of wondrous artwork. Celestia placed her horn right in the middle of it, and it melted away, revealing a box. The princess opened the box, which held no items. The Elements were gone. Everyone in the corridor gasped. Suddenly, a voice boomed through the corridor, and the draconequus leaped from picture to picture, fooling around and taunting the girls. "Where are the elements?!" Twilight angrily snapped. Discord chuckled and let out a riddle:

"To retrieve your missing Elements just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the elements back where you began."

The 7 shared perplexed looks. What was the creature speaking about? Suddenly Twilight's eyes lit up.

"The maze. The maze!" She gasped, grabbing everyone's attention. "We need to go to the maze!"

* * *

The 7 arrived in front of the Canterlot maze. It was a huge maze, built with thick, grass walls, spread out in a pattern of many paths. The floor was a grey platform of dirt, which matched the mysterious sky. Rainbow Dash, turning into a pony, confidently flew up to the front of the maze. Suddenly, her wings vanished, and she plummeted back onto the ground. This was followed by Fluttershy's wings disappearing, as well as Twilight's and Rarity's horns disappearing, and everyone being forced to be ponies. Zack, however, was left as a human. But he did feel his wings vaporise, and a chaotic power block his magic.

"My wings!" Dash growled, staring at her back.

" _My_ wings!" Fluttershy weeped, while Twilight and Rarity screamed over their horns. A laugh over-powered their shrieks.

"You–You should see the looks on your faces. Priceless!" Discord cackled, patting his stomach. The group glared at him.

"Give us our horns, wings and powers back!" Twilight commanded, with a fat scowl. Discord snorted.

"You'll get them back in good time. I simply took them to ensure there's no cheating. You see, this is the first rule of our game: no flying, and no magic." He spoke, gesturing with his claws.

"The first rule?" Dash questioned, raising her brow.

"The second rule is everypony has to play or the game is over, and I win. Good luck, everypony.. And dragon!" He chuckled, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Zack gazed at the spot where he had vanished, his head exploding with questions. Was he really working with Draco? What were they planning? What was this game? What happened to the elements?

Suddenly, walls burst from everywhere Zack stared, separating him from his friends. He pounded his fists against the broad, hedge walls, groaning as he remembered his lack of powers.

"Don't worry everypony and dragon! Just make you're way to the middle and we'll re-group there!" Twilight's reassuring voice called. Zack heard cries from the other girls, before their hoof-steps signalled their exit. Surprisingly, he felt more scared than he should've been. Something didn't feel right.

Zack apprehensively trotted through the maze, feeling as wobbly as jelly. He held his arms to his chest, gazing around with unsure eyes. _Something wasn't right.._

With small footsteps, he approached a large square in the middle of the maze. Was this the center? Where his friends would be? Zack wasn't sure. He took a deep breath of relief when he saw the sign 'The middle' on the hedge.

Suddenly, everywhere around him was covered in a black mist. Something was in front of him, its eyes poking through the black mist. It was the unmistakable red eyes of the horrid Draco. Then someone else was behind Zack.

"Hello, Zack," It was Discord, who displayed an evil grin. "I've heard so much about you." The mist around Zack grew thicker, as it swirled around his ankles.

"The Phantom Dragon is ours!" Draco cried, as the mist engulfed Zack. It captured him, stealing something from him. His dark side. His evilness.

A new Zack appeared out of the mist, standing next to the original Zack. The new one had Zack's hair, but he also had wolf-like yellow eyes, a torn black jacket and yellow shoes, with claws sticking out the front. Two fluro blue scars were over his eyes, matching his shoulder pads. His face was in an evil, twisted scowl.

"What.." The real Zack was speechless. Who was this? "Who are you?"

"I am your shadow." The newcomer hissed, in a voice like his, but with a deeper tone. Zack was confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked, shaking his head.

"He is you," Explained Discord, hovering over the duo. "But he is made out a dark matter. With lots of dark powers. Kind of cool, if you ask me."

Zack's shadow put his hands on his hips, the grin on his face growing larger. Zack bit his lip, gaping at his shadow. Then he turned to face Discord and Draco, who shared equally evil glances. A little voice appeared in his head, which sounded awfully familiar.. Comforting..

Zack's shadow flew over to the join the bad guys. He crossed his arms and kept that wicked grin of his face, while Discord cackled.

"You do realise, with this little Zack on our side, we are unstoppable! We've got our own Phantom Dragon! Nothing will stop us now!" He cried, clapping his claws. The storm in the sky grew larger, surrounding Equestria in the chaotic rule. Zack kept his glance up at the sky, doubt in his mind. Equestria was doomed.. He couldn't stop them now..

"Where are my friends?" Zack questioned, before he could stop himself.

"Oh.. _Them_?" Laughed Discord, snapping his claw. "They're fine.." Zack's friends appeared on the side of the court, their coats grey and their light gone. Zack gaped in horror as his friends snapped and bickered at each other, acting like he had never seen them, as though the Elements of Harmony on their necks were helpless. What had happened to them? Things felt marvelously helpless now. Discord had taken his powers. His friends were gone. Equestria was doomed. There was nothing he could do.

Or was there?

Zack gritted his teeth and faced the shadow, bawling his fingers into a fist. The shadow raised his eyebrows, then laughed, wondering how in Equestria this silly boy could take him on. The boy had no powers. What did he think he was doing? But Zack knew he didn't need his powers, just like Applejack said. He glanced at the mentioned orange girl, who was looking around shiftily. Now he felt anger. Anger at what those horrible villains had done to his friends. To Equestria.

Zack charged towards the shadow, who grinned wickedly and leaped out of the way.

"So you wanna fight? You can't beat me. I'm part of you, Zack." Hissed the shadow, as he floated in the air. He used some of Discord's powers to trap Zack in thick, black vines. The dragon boy leaped through the gap in the wiggling vines, standing up and facing the shadow. The villian used his shadow magic to summon living forces of negative energy, which were shaped like horrid shadow beasts. They surrounded Zack, bearing their teeth. The creatures swiped at him, who backflipped out of their way.

They charged towards Zack, booming out unbearable noises. Zack clenched his fists and thought of every motivational thing he could. He punched through the howling shadow creatures, turning them to dust. Zack's shadow suddenly starting firing black shadow bolts in his direction. Zack put all of his energy in his legs and avoided the striking bolts, which scarred the ground. Suddenly, Zack's shadow used some of Draco's powers to create a giant bolt of energy. He raised the powerball above his head, before he slammed it onto the ground, covering the maze with dark shadow magic.

Everywhere Zack stared was covered with magic. He crouched up in a corner, thinking of his friends, his family, his mother. Where was his mother? Was she okay?

"He's still not destroyed!" Grumbled Zack's shadow, as he continued to hover above him. His hands were already lit up with the dark magic. Zack suddenly felt determination rush through his veins. He could stop him.. He could..

The Phantom Dragon got to his feet and pulled down the shadow's leg. Then he slammed him thirty times on each side, back and forth, the shadow with an apprehensive expression, as his face made fierce contact with the dirt floor. Even the hypnotised girls showed mild interest. Zack then chucked the shadow strongly against the wall, his whole body smashing against it, weakening him. Then he slumped against the wall, his eyes fluttering dazily.

Zack panted, clutching his chest, as he fell to his knees. Discord slowly clapped.

"Well," He spoke, raising his brow. "Looks like you're more powerful than I thought," He faced Draco. "Maybe you need more of a challenge."

Suddenly Draco stood up, his red eyes glistening. He had huge black claws and many sharp teeth. He towered down above the Phantom Dragon, letting out a huge roar. Zack felt his muscles tense. Was he really going to fight who he thought he was? Discord's maniac-like cackle interrupted Zack's fearful thoughts. He shook his head. No, he thought, I can do this.

Draco picked Zack up in his large, scaly hand. Then he furiously chucked him against the wall, where Zack was covered in a pile of bricks. Draco then stepped on the pile, causing the bricks to dig into Zack's skin and giving him immense pain. Then he felt himself being lifted up in Draco's dark powers and being slammed into the floor many times, the world becoming a black blur. He felt himself being thrown across the sky, then smashing into the wall again.

Zack weakly opened his eyes, mentally begging for no more pain. Suddenly he felt his power return, and the chaos shield lift off his body. Maybe he had more of a chance. Zack broke out of the brick pile, lighting up his hands. Draco brought down a fist, so Zack covered himself in his favorite shield. But Draco's powerful hand smashed the shield to pieces and picked up Zack in his clutches again. Then he threw him on the ground, Zack feeling his bones shaking.

Draco, then using a similar powerball to the one that Zack's shadow had used chucked it on Zack. The powerball engulfed his vision with dark magic, exploding half the maze. It left trails of smoke everywhere, surrounding the fallen Phantom Dragon. Zack's eyes briefly fluttered open, giving him a hazy view of the world. Then, he felt the awful sensation of being picked up again.

"It is time to remove you once and for all!" Draco cried, wrapping all of his dark powers around the Phantom Dragon. Zack suddenly felt the pain of helplessness hit him. It was over. There was nothing he could do. Not even his powers could save him now. His skin turned a pale grey, going all over his clothes and skin. What could he do now? The whole world turned black, leaving him with the feeling of nothing.

* * *

Zack reawoke in a different world. It was like a work of art; the cerulean sky was dotted with tiny silver stars, the floor like a giant starlight mattress. Zack wanted to gaze at it forever, admiring every detail, every spark. Then he heard a voice ahead of him. A comforting, familiar voice.

It was his mother.

She was wearing the silkiest, silver dress known to anyone. Her hair was jet-black, sleek and reached her hips. Her eyes were the most brilliant blue, and her wings were a pale silver.

"Greetings, my son."

"Mother!" Zack cried, overwhelmed with joy. He ran towards his mother and wrapped his arms around her neck. He felt her gentle hand pat his shoulder.

"I am very proud of you, my son. And I am not the only one." She gestured to all of Zack's friends, who had regained their normal colours and were smiling and waving. The Kami and Shinigami were on the side, beaming down at him.

"Guys.. You're all okay!" Zack cried, his grin growing wider.

"Of course we're okay! Well.. _Not_ exactly.." Twilight said, sounding unsure. "I mean, our good sides are okay. But we'll be fine. But let me say, we're so proud of you!"

"Thanks," Zack replied, his cheeks slightly tainted. Then he bowed his head. "But I can't defeat Draco. There's no way. He's too powerful." His skin was still grey, and darkened a shade as he said this.

His mother shook her head. "No, Zack, you can. You must never give up. Keep fighting, and you will find your true hero's spirit."

Zack felt perplexion. "What do you mean?"

His mother chuckled. "You already know this, Zack. Your true hero's spirit lives inside of you. You must find it and unleash it. You should know, that you have many supporters to back you up," She cocked her head towards Zack's friends. The girls who loved him and respected him. "If you do not want to fight for yourself, then you can fight for them."

Zack's brain started ticking as he processed the words. True hero's spirit. Where could he find that? Suddenly, the world around him was starting to disappear in white streaks. Zack gasped in horror.

"Mother! Mother!" He cried desperately. "Girls! Kami! Shinigami!" But they were all gone in a flash of white. And so was he.

* * *

Zack rubbed his eyes, making them a little swollen. Then they fluttered open, giving him a view of the world. He was flat on the floor, his arms and legs spread out, covered in scars. The girls were near the side, grumbling angrily, their coats greyer than ever. Draco and Discord were celebrating on the side, the former wearing a crown that said 'The Phantom Dragon is gone!'

 _Unleash your true hero.._ He watched as the storm around the creatures grew thicker, and faint screams of the innocent could be heard.. No.. The Phantom Dragon was not gone. And he would not stand for this. Unleash your true hero.

More light and power than ever before surrounded the boy. It swirled around him like a tornado, consuming him with the magic. Then he transformed.

His scales became whitish-blue, merging to his ghost form. His coat became white with yellow flames and he had 4 wings and his hair spiked up a bit. His eyes became a light blue, glowing, and his gauntlet claws became like yellow talons. Finally, an armor covered his entire body, matching his claws. The girls stared at up him, mildly interested. Zack used his power, which came out of his hand like a golden ribbon. It drained the grey colour from the girls' coats.

They all shared perplexed expressions, before a smile gripped their faces when they saw Zack. He was going to save them! They all cheered him on, jumping up and down.

"Could you be quiet?" snapped Discord, suddenly realising they were back to normal. Then he felt himself being lifted up by a light magic. He was chucked out of the way, just leaving Draco. The villain turned around and gazed at the Phantom Dragon, whose eyes were filled with rage. His hands were alight with power as he hovered, ready to strike.

Draco growled and clenched his claws, forming a powerball over his head. Dark magic swirled into a sphere, ready to smash down onto Zack. The Phantom Dragon surrounded himself into a ring of light. Draco brought down the humongous powerball, landing onto Zack. However, instead of seeing a fallen dragon, he saw a dragon covered in golden light. He shot a golden streak at Draco, which he avoided.

The furious dragon blinked his blood red eyes. He faced the Phantom Dragon, who was getting ready to hit again.

"I do not know how you survived, but you shall not live!" Draco cried, his body twitching with dark magic. Zack lowered his eyebrows.

"I survived because I found my true hero's spirit. But that doesn't mean you will!" He replied, a golden aura around his body. Draco growled and the two dragons floated in the sky, scowling at each other. Zack's friends on the ground cheered him on, jumping up and down. Draco grumbled at them, before his claws lit up with the dark magic. Zack replicated him, but instead with the gold magic.

They shot their magics out at the same time, hitting each other in the middle. The gold and the black in a bright line, lighting up the land. Draco forced his magic forward, engulfing the gold power. Zack did likewise, and vice versa happened. Draco growled. He wasn't going to stand for being defeated by a silly little boy! He forced so much power into his magic that it began to destroy Zack's quicker than before. The Phantom Dragon felt adrenaline make his heart pump as sweat dampen his skin. He briefly glanced down at friends, who were cheering him on.

"You can do it, Zack!" Twilight cried, waving her arms. A little smile appeared on Zack's lips. His determination gave his magic a huge boost. It flowed out like ribbons, destroying Draco's magic. The evil dragon bellowed in horror as his magic was stopped. Zack's golden power wrapped around Draco, giving him more pain than ever before. Then, when the evil dragon was golden from the magic, he suddenly exploded in a light brighter than the sun.

The light spread across Equestria, like a supernova. Draco evaporated into the super nova, his body like a golden sonic-rainboom. This seemed to swipe up Zack too, and the two disappeared.

"Zack?" A voice called desperately. "Zack!" It was Twilight. She ran through the destroyed maze, kicking over burnt hedges and torn up paths. "Zack!" Tears began to form at her eyes, as she searched everywhere. But there was no sign of the hero. She and the other girls began to weep. Had he truly died? Her horrified shriek echoed through the air, and her heart sunk.

"This.. Can't be!" Rarity cried, as she kneeled next to her purple friend. Fluttershy joined in the mourning, followed by her friends. Applejack bowed her head and took her hat off as a sign of respect.

"Twilight?" A voice said. A familiar voice. Twilight perked up, and saw Zack standing there, smiling. She squealed in delight and bolted over to pull him into an embrace. The other girls followed her, Applejack slightly reluctant, as they all hugged. The Elements of Harmony were around their necks, and they suddenly glowed. The magic from the elements wrapped Zack in power, connecting him to his friends. A golden necklace appeared on his neck, shaped like a small red dragon.

"What.." Zack gaped, as he and his friends gaped at the necklace.

"It's your Element of Harmony," A voice called from near him. The two princesses! Celestia and Luna walked towards him, beaming brightly. Celestia dipped her head. "You have discovered your element. The element of hope. Love and compassion."

Zack clutched the shining piece between his fingers. "Wow.."

"And it is not only that," Luna continued, "You are now known as the Dragon God of Protection."

Celestia's grin grew wider. "And.. If I have to admit.. We all really love you." Zack blushed at this statement.

"So do we!" Twilight cried, giving him another hug, as the girls joined. Applejack just gave him a small wink. He chuckled and returned the embrace.

* * *

While our heroes were discussing Zack's new role, his shadow rose from the smoke. He gritted his teeth as he watched the silly hero celebrate his victory. The minions of Draco were in contact with the shadow.

"He destroyed our master. Vengeance must be ours." The minions swore, to which the shadow agreed. He had stolen some of Draco's light energy. Using his dark powers and the energy, he created Konton, a reborn Draco. He had a similar appearance to Zack, making the shadow grin wickedly.

"Oh trust me. Vengeance will be ours. You and I, Dragon God of Punishment." He smirked, as Konton tested his new powers.


	17. Lesson Zero

Fluttershy couldn't contain it anymore. The feeling wasn't leaving her. It was like a scratch that wouldn't go away. She had to say something. To get it out of her system. She had to tell him. She had to! She couldn't hide it away anymore. She knew it would come out, one way or another.

Fluttershy headed over to Zack's new home, pushing her pink hair behind her ears, standing in front of his door. She felt fear make her arms tingle, and some sweat on her cheeks. But she knew she had to tell him. Suddenly, she heard walking from behind her. People were coming! She whipped around, gasping at who she saw.

It was the other 5 girls. Fluttershy gazed at them, and they gazed back.

"Oh.." she said. "I didn't expect to see all of you here."

"Me either," Twilight Sparkle replied, raising her brow. Her face began to glow a pale crimson. "I'm only here to see Zack.." The other girls chattered in agreement, Applejack claiming she came to say 'mornin' to her friend'. Fluttershy let out a very quiet whimper. She wasn't alone today. Especially when the new, former-rival Mayla arrived for a visit.

Meanwhile, Zack was inside, thinking about his friends. Comrasis was feather dusting the shelves, because oddly, he had grown an appreciation for house-cleaning. Zack, briefly watching the small dragon featherdust, thought about his friends. They had given him a life. A family. They were his family. And he loved them so. He wondered what they thought of him.

Zack could hear people chatting inside, which made him raise an eyebrow. Who could that be? He opened his door, and saw his friends roaming around outside. They stopped their talking and stared him in the face.

"Oh.. Zack!" Twilight gasped, giving him a wave. He grinned back.

"Hey Twi. What're you all doing here?" he asked, his brow raising even higher when he saw Mayla. "Mayla?"

"Hey.. Thought I'd give you a visit." she shyly replied.

"I think that applies to all of you." Zack smiled, playfully folding his arms. He couldn't believe his eyes! Did all of them really want to visit him?

"We just wanted to say hi.." Fluttershy added, biting her lip. She covered one eye with her pink hair, feeling a sadness growing. He would never want to talk to her.

"Well, this really is a nice surprise!" Zack chuckled. "I was thinking of all of you before," he smiled. "I wanted to thank you. You're all so wonderful. I would be nowhere without you. You're true friends," his smile grew. "No.. you're more than friends. You're my family. And I love you."

The girls felt their hearts beat. They were all heart-warmed, and the crimson showed on their faces. Applejack grinned, feeling platonic romance towards the boy. He was like a brother to her, almost like her own brother.

"I love you too.." Twilight replied, her words coming out in honesty.

"So do I." The other girls replied, including Mayla, who blushed. Zack felt overwhelmed. His friends loved him! They really loved him. He couldn't help but feel his own cheeks blush a bright red.

"And the town respects you too," Twilight added. "They realized that you saved us from Draco. No one's afraid of you anymore." Zack smiled at that. Now he had everyone on his side. Nothing could stop them now!

"GROUP HUG!" Pinkie Pie squealed, holding out her pink arms. All 8 of them ran in for a big, cuddly hug, spreading the love.

"Oh, come on you two!" Applejack cried, unable to wipe the grin off her face.

"No!" Spike grumbled. He snorted. "Hugs are gross!" Comrasis, who stood next to his dragon friend, had other thoughts. He ran right up to the group circle and joined in, standing near Applejack. Spike kept his arms folded. Finally he gave up. "Fine, I'm coming." He joined the huggers, pretending to cringe, though he was actually enjoying the experience.

* * *

Fluttershy felt guilty yet joyous at the same time. She had Zack all to herself, which felt a bit greedy inside- though she had him all for her. They were hanging out in Zack's new house, sitting on his beanbags.

"I like your new house, Zack." Fluttershy commented, observing her surroundings.

"Thanks," Zack replied, giving her a warm smile. She grinned back, albeit she couldn't help but let out a depressed sigh. Zack raised his brow. "What's wrong?"

Fluttershy took a deep breath. "Well, I know we haven't known each other for that long.. But after I stopped being afraid of you.. I fell in love with you. I wanted to confess every time I saw you, but I got too shy. Today I finally got the courage to reveal the truth.. The other girls being there was unexpected. Maybe we came for the same reason. I don't know. But I know I came because I love you." she sighed, finishing her answer. Zack rubbed her shoulder.

"I love you too, Fluttershy," he replied, with a grin. "I love all of my friends. Everything I ever wanted is in this world. My.. old world, I only had one friend. She was.. A great friend, no lies there, but the rest was awful. Don't get me started on my dad."

Fluttershy folded her fingers. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad. At least you didn't grow up where I did.." she sighed deeply, preparing to tell her story. "I grew up in Cloudsdale. That's the place where Dashie did her sonic-rainboom. I went to Flight Camp when I was small.. Unfortunately my experience wasn't very good. I'm a horrible flyer… and I just kept failing. Everypony teased me there. Dashie stood up for me, which was very nice of her. In fact, she held a race against the bullies for my rights."

"Whoa.." Zack breath, feeling pride. "That was very noble of her!"

Fluttershy nodded. "They began the race. They rushed so fast that they knocked me off a cloud. That's when I landed here and found the animals. It's how I got my cutie mark."

"I remember that story." Zack smirked, whirring his memory.

"After that, the animals led me to a little cottage. It was abandoned, so I started a home there. My animals friends liked the home too, so they lived with me. And that's where I've been since." Fluttershy concluded, Zack giving her an intrigued nod.

"Your story is far more interesting than mine," Zack sighed, bowing his head. "I just went to school, ignored my dad, and chatted to my friend. Exciting, right?" He and Fluttershy laughed.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad." she retorted, with a friendly smile.

"Way worse than here." he groaned, rolling his eyes in a comedic way. Fluttershy continued to giggle.

"You're so funny. You're one of the best friends I've ever had, Zack," she said, wrapping her arms around Zack's waist. He patted her on the shoulder. "I'm a horrible friend. I'm just so shy and quiet. No wonder those ponies bullied me."

Zack gently gripped her shoulders. "Fluttershy, you're an amazing friend. You're so beautiful, kind and gentle. Don't let anypony bring you down. You're capable of so much more than you know." She grinned at this, tears filling her eyes.

"Thank you so much, Zack." she replied, the grin not leaving her face. Suddenly, the padding of feet could be heard outside. The door was thrown open, revealing a panting, puffing purple dragon.

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Spike? What's wrong?"

"Okay, two things," Spike panted, gulping in air. "Firstly, what does tardy mean?"

"Late." Zack answered, his brow raising even higher.

"Secondly… Uh.." Spike's voice went a bit awkward. "Twilight's gone a bit crazy."

"What?!" Zack questioned, raising his voice. Fluttershy bit her lip.

Spike nodded. "Yeah, yeah.. She's worried about this letter to Celestia being overdue."

"Worried?" Zack repeated.

"Yes," Spike replied, with an apprehensive grin. "When Twilight gets nervous about these kind of things.. Well, she.. Goes a bit crazy."

Zack appeared concerned. "Where is she?"

"I'm not sure! She ran off somewhere." Spike squeaked in reply.

"I'll find her," Zack said, leaping to his feet. He gave a sympathetic glance at Fluttershy. "Oh.. sorry Fluttershy.." He helped her to her feet.

"No! No, it's fine. Twilight needs your help." Fluttershy cried, with a grin. Zack gave her a quick embrace.

"Thanks for understanding!" he called to her, before rushing out the door.

* * *

Using his powers, Zack managed to find Twilight sitting on a park bench. She was kneeled on the park bench, talking to someone in a puddle. Zack raised an eyebrow and headed over to his friend. When he got closer, he realized her eyes had become twitchy and her mane was frizzy. Then he saw who she was talking to.

"I should be worried.. I'm gonna fail.. No, Twilight! You'll find a friendship problem in time.." Twilight squeaked at the puddle, like a maniac.

"Twi.. Are you having a conversation.. With your _reflection_?" Zack asked, startling the girl. She whipped around and faced him, with extracted pupils.

"Oh! Zack! You're just the guy I'm looking for!" she cried, leaping to her feet. "Say, have you got any friendship problems?"

"Uh.. sorry, no." Zack replied, beginning to feel unsure.

Twilight twitched. "That's fine. Ha ha ha!" Suddenly she gasped. "I've got a brilliant idea! Wanna help me, Zack?"

Zack had a bad feeling about this 'idea'. "Nah, I'm good."

Twilight cackled. "Okey dokey! Catch ya later!" She continued cackling as she ran off.

* * *

"My guess is that this won't end well.." Zack explained the story to Comrasis, who had been very busy cleaning the library, as they sat in Zack's house.

"I don't think it will either!" Comrasis cried back. "What will Twilight's friends think?"

"I'm not sure." Zack honestly answered, feeling apprehension for his friend. Comrasis nodded in agreement.

"Good luck with whatever happens!" he replied, before grabbing his things to do yet more house-cleaning. Zack raised a hand in farewell, when suddenly Rainbow Dash rushed up to him.

"Dash? What's up?" he asked, raising his brow.

She panted. "It's Twilight! She's hypnotizing the town!"

"What?!" Zack breathed, with a loud gasp. "Hypnotizing?!"

"Uh.. Yeah.. she made the town fall in love with her soft toy or something," Rainbow Dash explained. She snorted. "For a 'friendship problem'."

"Where is she?" Zack could feel his heart pounding. He knew Twilight was going to do something wrong!

"Somewhere out in the town! Hurry, Zack!" Rainbow Dash cried, gesturing him away.

* * *

Zack saw Twilight, appearing crazier than ever. She was dangling a worn-out toy in front of a group of people, with hypnotized eyes. Zack was horrified.

"Friendship problem!" she cried, as the all the people chased after the softie.

"Twilight! What is going on?" Zack called to his friend, who cackled.

"I'm creating a friendship problem!" she yelled back, as the people fought over the toy. They screamed horrible insults at each other, as the reached for the item. Some were injured, but they just kept going for the toy. Zack shook his head in disbelief.

"What did you do?" he asked, raising his brow.

"I put a little spell on 'em! A perfect problem!" Twilight replied, grinning.

"Why?" Zack questioned. "Why do you need to create a problem?"

"My letter for Celestia is almost overdue! I need a friendship problem to write about and this is perfect!" Twilight answered, as the war grew more vicious. People were punching each other, screaming and acting like caged animals. Zack couldn't bear to watch this! Things were getting worse!

"You need to stop!" he called to her, with desperation.

"Never! I'M MAKING A FRIENDSHIP PROBLEM! AH HA HA HA!" Twilight squealed back in reply. Zack gasped. She was going more loco by the second!

"No," Zack said. "You're not." Power suddenly surged through his body, making his body glow. He levitated into the air, the power leaving his body, and touching every hypnotised person. The spell disappeared from them, returning them back to normal. Twilight screamed at her work being undone.

"ZACK! NO! WHAT ARE YOU _DOING?!_ " she screamed, running her fingers through her hair. Zack finished his spell, leaving the people perplexed to how they were acting. They took no notice of the softie. Twilight's forehead was full of sweat. She rushed up to Zack, twitching at him. "WHAT AND WHY?!"

"Twilight," Zack explained calmly. His face expressed disappointment, which melted away her anger. "You shouldn't be casting spells on people just because your letter is nearly overdue. That's wrong. Instead, you should've written a letter to Celestia explaining you're having some problems finding a problem and would like an extension. I know you get stressed about these things, but this is too far. This is a lesson for you, Twilight: don't worry so much."

"Zack is correct." A voice called, from the skies. It was Celestia, with the other girls following her.

"Don't send Twilight back to magic kindergarten!" They cried in chant, desperate. Celestia landed in front of Zack and Twilight, staring at them both.

"Thank you, Zack," she thanked the boy. "I think you've made us all understand," she turned to Twilight. "I am disappointed in what you have done, Twilight. Therefore, the punishment shall be that all of you- including you, Zack- will have to write friendship discoveries to me."

"Really?" Twilight asked. She smiled weakly. "So.. No magic kindergarten?"

"No," Celestia laughed. "Just as long as you all write friendship reports," The other girls chattered excitedly about friendship reports, while Celestia faced Zack. "Zack? Do you mind?"

"What's wrong, your highness?" Zack asked, smiling.

"You.. don't mind if Luna and I come and see you alone, do you?" she asked, with subtle fear.

Zack shook his head. "Not at all! I'd be more than happy for you to come!"

Celestia patted his shoulder. "Thank you so much, dearest child." They grinned at each other for a moment, as the sun shone down upon them.


	18. Luna Eclipsed

Zack peaked outside his door. Everyone was dressed up in costumes, carrying treat bags. It reminded Zack strongly of Halloween. Perhaps this is this world's version of Halloween? Zack thought to himself. Well, if it is, I had better get dressed up!

Twilight Sparkle left her library, patting down her dress.

"So, are you an old man?" Spike asked, following behind her. "I'm a dragon."

"I'm not an old man," Twilight snorted. "I'm Starswirl the Bearded," Spike blinked in confusion. "Father of the amniomorphic spell?" Still unsure. "Did you read those books I gave you?"

"Uh.." Spike bit his lip. "Hey look, it's Zack!" Just as the small dragon pointed out, Zack trotted out, in his undead dragon form. The girl and her dragon assistant gasped in shock, as Zack blinked at them with his deathly eyes.

"Hey you two!" Zack chuckled. He stared at Twilight. "Are you a wizard, Twi?"

Spike chortled. "No, she's an old grandpa."

Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm a wizard. I'm Starswirl the Bearded, a very famous and smart pony."

"Old grandpa.." Spike was sniffling from laughter. Then he looked up. "Hey Zack, who's that behind you?"

Zack turned around, surprised to see Mayla, his new found-friend. She gave him a little wave, looking as pretty as ever, her long hair brushed out. She blew him a little kiss with a giggle. Zack heard a faint growl escape from Twilight Sparkle's lips. Especially when Mayla offered to take his hand as they headed into Town Hall. Young children were trotting around, holding baskets full of candy, as well as Pinkie Pie. Tables were set up, basking in the moonlight and holding sugary punch.

"Whoa, they did a nice job decorating this place!" Zack observed, taking in his surroundings. He saw his friends here and there, doing an activity (aside from Rarity, who was not there). Then he raised his eyebrow. "Wait.. what exactly is this festival?"

"Nightmare Night," Twilight explained. "Ponies gather candy and give it to Nightmare Moon, so she won't 'eat' them."

"Who's Nightmare Moon?" Zack asked, even more perplexed. Suddenly, thunder and lightning cracked in the sky, rippling throughout the town. Clouds began to swirl; the beginning of a storm. A chariot was in the sky, starting to descend. Everyone (save Zack and Twilight Sparkle) began to scream, especially when someone leaped out of the chariot. They were wearing a hood of darkness. That someone was Princess Luna.

"Princess Luna!" Twilight Sparkle gasped, stepping forward. Suddenly, Spike pulled her back.

"No, Twilight, that's Nightmare Moon!" he whispered, as they bowed.

"Nightmare Moon?" Zack repeated, gazing at Princess Luna. She removed her hood, bats flying off her skin.

"Citizens of Ponyville!" she spoke, her voice sounding like she was speaking through a megaphone. "We have graced your tiny village with our presence, so that you might behold the real princess of the night! A creature of nightmare is no longer, but instead a pony who desires your love and admiration! Together we shall change this dreadful celebration into a bright and glorious feast!" Everypony shivered at her.

"I think she said she wants to feast on us all!" Pinkie Pie cried, from the back somewhere. Everyone began squealing chaotically, and running around like a bunch of maniacs. Spike was about to join them, but Twilight tugged him back.

"She's not Nightmare Moon anymore, Spike," she said, wiping the panic off his face. "She's Luna now. The Elements of Harmony defeated her."

"If you say so…" Spike mumbled, slumping back down.

Zack raised his eyebrows, watching the craziness. "Okay, what the heck is going on?!"

Twilight sighed. "There's something you need to know about Princess Luna. A very long time ago, she and Celestia ruled the heavens. Luna became jealous, since everypony preferred the sunlight. Her jealousy turned her into a monster: Nightmare Moon, who swore to create eternal night. Celestia banished her to the moon, using the elements of Harmony, for a thousand years. After that millennia, Luna returned as Nightmare Moon. My friends and I, with the elements, defeated her. This was a little while before you came."

Zack nodded. "I see. So, she's reformed now?"

Twilight smiled. "Yep, she's back on our side. However, everypony still thinks she's evil and gonna eat 'em all."

"Okay…" Zack replied, letting the information sink in.

Twilight groaned at the panicking ponies, and the rejected Luna trotting away. "I'm gonna go talk to her." She disappeared into the shadows, after the princess. Spike followed after her, calling protests.

"Poor night pony.." Mayla said sympathetically, peeking out from behind a table.

"Yeah.. I feel bad for Luna.. she's reformed now, and I've met her before- she's lovely." Zack sighed, shaking his head. Mayla nodded, getting to her feet.

"Maybe we should do something for her.. Like.. a party." she suggested, with a grin. Zack gasped brightly.

"Mayla, you're a genius!" he cried, leaping for joy. "We'll set up a party for her- a guest party or something.. To celebrate Nightmare Night!" An idea suddenly popped into his head, growing like a blossom. "I have a great idea, that'll really spook everyone and make this an amazing Nightmare Night for everyone- and a great first one for me!" he turned to Mayla's questionable expression. "I'll need you to be my assistant."

* * *

The two spent the next hour planning and building their 'party' for their friends. The others had been so occupied with Princess Luna that they hadn't noticed the missing duo assembling the party. Finally, after attempting to get Pinkie Pie to socialize with the former-villain, Twilight Sparkle realized that Zack had mysteriously disappeared.

"Where's Zack?" she asked to Princess Luna, as they trotted around town. "He was with us a little while ago." Suddenly, a high-pitched scream- scratch that, screams were heard from somewhere in Ponyville. The two gave each other a glance, then followed the sounds. The sounds were coming from the 4 other girls (save Rarity, who ended up being in Canterlot), all gazing at something. That something was Zack, with his torso ripped up. Disgusting, black tentacles were wiggling around inside of him, screeching loudly. Twilight Sparkle gasped. "What in Equestria?!"

"Follow me," Zack said, in a demonic voice. "To your Nightmare Night doom.." The ponies were so terrified that they immediately obliged, following their scary friend. Twilight Sparkle and Luna, also caught in this enchantment followed.

They arrived at a spooky, hidden door, near the edge of the Everfree Forest. Everypony shivered, bunching up together. Zack opened the creaky door, letting out wails and screams, and of course, darkness. He gestured them inside, with glowing eyes. Reluctantly, they stepped inside, wondering what this hellhouse was. It was pure darkness inside, with nothing but the sound of their breathing. Zack had seemingly disappeared again.

"What is this place?" Applejack asked, with apprehension.

"I don't wanna know.." Fluttershy whimpered, shivering.

"What is going on, citizens? We wish to know." Princess Luna asked from the back, scaring a few of the girls.

"It's probably Zack doing something to us." Rainbow Dash replied, shrugging. Suddenly, creepy music, that sounded like 'Pop goes the weasel' began to play.

"Welcome to the game," a petrifying voice called above. "Your job is to escape through the hidden door.. Before you get caught!" The music grew louder and creepier, making the girls shiver.

"What is this?!" Rainbow Dash yelled, pretending not to be afraid.

"I think we have to run!" Twilight Sparkle yelled back, running at full throttle. The other girls listened to her, and charged off in their own directions. However, Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy were captured, and tied to a chair. They were brought to the middle of the dark room, the music still playing.

"We demand to know what this is!" Princess Luna cried, while Fluttershy sniffled.

"HEY! LET US GO!" That was Rainbow Dash! She and the others had been caught and tied up too.

"At least we're all in the same boat.." Applejack sighed, as the chairs were pushed against each other. Suddenly, Mayla, wearing a belly dancer costume appeared underneath them, and spun the chairs. The girls screamed, as they spun around and around.

Zack was sitting in a thone, smirking as the girls spun around. They screamed even harder, gazing at monsters captured in cages on their sides, which were created by Zack himself. The monsters screeched, sending shivers up their spines. They were one clone of Jason, two clones of Freddy Krueger, three clones of Michael Myers, five clones of Leatherface, six clones of Chucky, sixteen undead dragon zombies and a giant bat-man monster. Zack cackled. "If it lands on a monster.. I win! If it lands on a blank space.. You all win!"

Only then the girls realized they were spinning on a giant wheel, surrounded by creatures. If felt like their survival was on the edge. They continued to scream. Finally, the music died out they stopped spinning. They landed on the undead zombie dragons. Zack pulled a lever, opening the cage to the undead zombie dragons.

"Looks like I win again!" he cackled, as the dragons approached the girls. They screamed in horror, leaning away from the creatures. Zack tapped his fingers together. "Why not?" He pushed another button, opening all of the cages. He laughed his head off as the creatures roared at the girls, making them beyond anxious. Mayla joined in on his laughing.

"Help!" Fluttershy squeaked, hiding behind her friends. Even Rainbow Dash couldn't help but be afraid. The monsters were getting closer..

Suddenly Zack leaped in front of them. He grinned, and quite literally took his head off. The girls were so horrified that their faces paled. Zack's body was still moving, although his head had been taken off. Suddenly, he clicked his fingers, and the monsters vanished in puffs of smoke, and his head returned to his neck. "HAPPY NIGHTMARE NIGHT!" The girls stopped screaming and gaped at him. "So? What did you think? Scary?"

"Definitely scary.." Rainbow Dash said, as the girls let out a breath of relief. Suddenly, they all burst out into a fit of laughter, knowing that this wouldn't be a Nightmare Night they would forget anytime soon.

* * *

"Don't worry Princess Luna," Zack said to the royal pony, after everypony had recovered. "I'm sure everypony will get to love you."

"We enjoyed your celebration very much, Zack. But we still cannot achieve the love of our subjects." Princess Luna hung her head in shame.

"Oh Luna.." Zack rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. "Come on, I'll get the town together and get them to meet you."

A few moments later, everypony had gathered in town hall. The 5 girls had told them that there was some sort of 'ceremony' going on, and they all needed to come. The citizens sat around in a big circle, wondering what was going to happen. They started screaming when Princess Luna arrived, taking bold steps.

"Stop screaming!" Zack cried, floating above them. "She's not bad anymore! She's not Nightmare Moon.. she's Princess Luna, and she just wants your love!"

"We know!" Pinkie Pie yelled back, getting to her feet. "I helped defeat her, duh!"

Zack raised his eyebrow. "What? Then… why were you screaming and running away?"

"Because it's fun!" Pinkie Pie laughed, falling over in giggles.

"Yeah.. we really like you scaring us, Luna!" A young colt, Pipsqueak, added. Zack glanced down at Princess Luna, with a shrug.

"Well, Luna, it seems.. They like you scaring them!" he grinned, floating down to meet her.

"They do.. They enjoy this.. Fun?" Princess Luna asked, with joy. Zack nodded. "Then.. Nightmare Night shall not be cancelled!" she called, in a booming voice. Everypony suddenly cheered, knowing that the night wouldn't be cancelled.

"I'm glad you didn't decide to cancel it, your highness." Zack said, giving her a grin. Princess Luna dipped her head.

"No amount of fun will ever come close to what you gave us tonight, Zack," she said, trotting alongside him. "You must come and enjoy the night with us." The two chuckled together, and went off to enjoy the celebration.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere far away, a boy who looked just like Zack was fighting a hydra. This was none other than Konton, Zack's dark twin. The scaly hydra, who had heard about how Zack defeated the great and powerful Draco, suddenly saw the similarities. It gasped, fleeing away in fear. Konton cackled.

"No one else can challenge me? The mighty Konton?" he hissed, with a grin.


	19. Sisterhooves Social

The sun shone over the mystical land of Equestria. Zack, and his good friend Applejack were cleaning up the barn in the morning's early rays. Zack had volunteered to help Applejack set up for an event called 'The Sisterhooves Social'.

Zack filled up a large, squared-out area with sloppy, brown mud while Applejack stuck two poles in the ground for the start and finish line. The dragon boy flew into the air and observed his and his friend's hard work. It had certainly paid off, and it looked like this year's Sisterhooves Social was going to go well.

"Thanks for all your help, Zack," Applejack said, as Zack hovered down from the sky. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"Oh, no problem." Zack replied humbly, with a grin. Applejack patted his shoulder.

"Say, we don't talk to each other too much," she tapped her chin in thought. "It's still early.. Are ya up for some apple cider?"

A few minutes later, the country girl and the former-human were sitting on a homemade, wooden table, with fresh glasses of the apple family's famous cider. The sun's rays were stroking the golden, sugary liquid, making it look like solid gold. The two people sat face to face, sipping their drinks.

"Is this really made here?" Zack asked astoundingly, peering at the cider. "It takes more like it was made in heaven."

"Every drop." Applejack replied, with a proud grin.

"Amazing!" Zack clapped. Then he chuckled. "Can I come here every morning for one of these?"

"You're very welcome." Applejack said, as Zack slurped up some more cider.

"Thanks," Zack gulped politely. "So, what's it like living on a farm? I'm a city-born kid. Y'know, not in nature."

Applejack laughed. "Well, it's hard. Not somethin' you'd be used to. But although it's a-tricky, it's really rewardin', too."

Zack grinned. "That's good," he took another sip. "I've been wondering this for a while.. But.. do you really trust me?"

"Of course I do!" Applejack exclaimed, folding her arms playfully. Then, with a solemn sigh, she unfolded them. "Well.. I sorta did when ya first came. Then we had that fight, and I lost mah faith in you. But then, we worked together, and so after that I was proud to call you mah friend."

"Glad to hear," Zack smiled, knowing that his friend trusted him. "I always trusted you. You seemed like the trustworthy kinda girl. Hence your element, of course. But you really did seem like that kinda girl."

"Thanks," Applejack adjusted her hat. "I regret sayin' all those horrible things to you back in Appleloosa, and I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you." Zack gave her a pat on the shoulder. The two had a quick bromance hug.

"Good on ya, Zack. Good on you." Applejack gave him an amiable smirk.

"Hey, I said horrible things too. It's partly my fault. Don't take the whole blame, AJ!" Zack giggled. The two had a short laugh together.

"Friends, right?" Applejack asked, with a smile.

"No." Zack replied, acting cross. Then he burst into laughter. "Kidding! Come here, you country-freak!" He gave her another hug.

"Thanks, dragon-breath," Applejack gently pushed him away. She gave him a playful grin. "Wanna race on the obstacle course?"

* * *

Later that day, Zack decided to visit Rarity, since he hadn't seen her for a little while. He knocked on her boutique's fabulous door, with a friendly smile.

"CLOSED! GO AWAY!" A cranky voice yelled inside.

"Rarity? It's me, Zack." Zack called back, raising an eyebrow.

"LIKE I SAID, GO AWAY! I DON'T FEEL LIKE TALKING!" The angry voice shot back. Zack sighed, knowing that something was definitely wrong.

"What's wrong, Rarity? It's okay- you can tell me." he said reassuringly, lacing his fingers.

"Oh, why don't you go ask my-ex sister? I'm sure she'll give you all the details!" Rarity grumbled, with a frustrated snort.

"'Ex-sister'? Rarity, what are you talking about?" Zack questioned, with concern.

"Hmph!" Rarity scoffed. Zack took a deep breath.

"Rarity, I'm coming in." he said calmly. He used his magic and swiftly teleported inside, where he saw his fancy friend pacing around like a mad horse.

"Oh, hello! Come to tell me why Sweetie Bell shouldn't be my ex-sister?!" Rarity snapped with indignation. Zack shook his head.

"What do you mean, ex-sister?" he asked, with perplexity. He opened a draw and found a picture of Rarity and Sweetie Belle as cartoons, surrounded by a sticky, jewel heart that was stuck on by glue. He showed Rarity. "It doesn't look like you're ex-sisters to me."

Rarity gasped in horror at the picture, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, Sweetie Belle!" she clutched the picture melodramatically. "What have I done?"

"I have a feeling you want her back." Zack said, gazing down at the crying girl.

* * *

Zack and Rarity found Sweetie Belle who was claiming Applejack as her 'new sister'.

"Oh come on, Sweetie Belle! You belong with me!" Rarity cried, as they all sat around a campfire. "You're my sister!"

"Not anymore! Applejack's my big sister now!" Sweetie Belle shot back, hugging Applejack like she was a bag of gold.

"Now come on you two," Zack stepped forward. "You're sisters. You need each other."

"No we don't! Applejack is my sister!" Sweetie Belle spat bitterly, almost strangling her 'sister'.

"No, she's MY sister!" Apple Bloom growled, trying to smack Sweetie Belle away.

"Whoa whoa whoa there!" Applejack jumped out of their grip. "No fightin', 'kay? I can't be everypony's sister." The young girls scoffed. Applejack sighed and faced Rarity and Zack. "I don't know what happened. Sweetie Belle just came 'ere and started complainin' 'bout you, Rarity. Now she won't leave."

"Well, just knock some sense into her! You're Applejack, after all." Rarity replied, ignoring the bickering girls.

"Tried to, but it didn't work." Applejack groaned, shaking her head. Zack's eyes lit up.

"Maybe we need to get Sweetie Belle to believe that you are a good sister, Rarity," he faced Rarity. "And I've got just the way to do that."

* * *

"I can't believe it!" Sweetie Belle squealed the next morning. "I get to race with Applejack, my new big sister!" She, Applejack, and a bunch of other contestants were at the obstacle course that Applejack and Zack had set up the previous day. The sun was shining down on them, showing that it was the perfect day for the event.

"It's truly wonderful!" Applejack cried blissfully. Then she cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "I mean, yeah, it's gonna be mighty fine."

"Do you think this is gonna work?" Apple Bloom asked, as she, Zack and Scootaloo, who had all come to spectate, sat on the brown seats.

"I have a good feeling," Zack winked at her. Then he clicked his fingers. "Popcorn?"

"Racerrrrssss, get ready-eh!" Granny Smith yelled into her megaphone, from the starting line. "GO!"

The sisters rushed off like bullets. The first obstacle was a pit of sticky mud, which Zack had filled the previous day. Applejack, with style and grace managed to hop over the mud.

"Applejack, help!" Sweetie Belle called, as she wagged her stuck leg in the mud. Applejack whipped around and extended a hoof. Sweetie Belle latched onto it, and the two continued. They did a bit of running, which got them ahead of some of the other sisters. The next event was a few rows of haystacks. Applejack and Sweetie Belle quickly leaped over those, getting even more in front.

"YEAH! GO SWEETIE BELLE AND RA- I MEAN, APPLEJACK!" Apple Bloom cheered, through a mouthful of popcorn. Zack sniggered and rolled his eyes.

The two sisters made it to the eating pies stage. They raced against another pair of sisters. They chomped up the pies quicker than a lighting bolt, then raced ahead. A giant container was carrying grapes, which is what Applejack and her own sister squeezed to make juice. Applejack, with a kick of her back legs, helped her 'sister' climb into the container.

Sweetie Belle squeezed the grapes inside, getting purple mush all over her hooves. Grape juice flowed into a little glass jar, smelling as fresh as Zack's apple juice. Applejack helped her 'sister' out of the container, and then they continued on again.

"They're doin' so good!" Apple Bloom squealed, swallowing her popcorn.

"Proud of 'em, for sure." Zack agreed, giving her a grin.

"YEAH! GO YOU TWO!" Scootaloo cheered boldly.

Two sisters, coming out of a henhouse, accidentally smashed their egg. However, Applejack and Sweetie Belle, balancing an egg on their snouts, managed to carry it to the basket of eggs. Now they were really in front, and they celebrated this by jumping for joy. But just as they were successful, another pair of sisters raced past them.

Zack, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom cheered like crazy as Applejack and Sweetie Belle charged for the finish line, showing no mercy. Sadly, they didn't come first. They were just beaten by another pair of sisters.

"SO CLOSE!" Applebloom cried, as she and the others walked up to them. "You nearly had it!"

"Well, to me, it doesn't matter!" Sweetie Belle cried. She wrapped her arms around Applejack's orange body. "We had fun, and that's all that matters!"

"I'm glad to hear that." somepony said, walking over to them. Sweetie Belle almost passed out when she saw who it was.

"Applejack?!" she gasped, stepping back. She gazed at the one she had just hugged. "But.. what? How can there be two?"

"Because," Zack clicked his fingers. "One of them isn't Applejack." The Applejack who had raced with Sweetie Belle suddenly transformed into none other than Rarity, her purple mane flowing.

"Wait.." Sweetie Belle bit her lip. "So.. Zack's magic turned Rarity into Applejack.. So I was racing with Rarity the whole time?"

"That's right!" Rarity cried, with an ecstatic grin.

Sweetie Belle raised her brow. "But I thought you said the social is uncouth!"

"It's not uncouth if it's with my sister." Rarity smiled, hugging her younger sister. Sweetie Belle leaped onto her and they fell on the ground. Zack grinned and winked at Applejack.

"Mission accomplished." They high-fived.

"Did you really come up with that idea, Zack?" Scootaloo asked, walking in front of Zack.

"I most certainly did!" Zack replied, ruffling her hair.

"You're pretty awesome, I must admit, Zack." Scootaloo replied, in her tough voice.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah! You're like.. A big brother, or somethin'!"

"A really cool big brother!" Sweetie Belle added. All three girls latched themselves onto Zack, and embraced him tightly. He grinned and hugged them back. The two elder girls joined in for the huge group hug, sharing the love.

* * *

Konton, with his arms folded across his cold chest, approached the Diamond Dogs, who were shivering.

"Where is she?!" he demanded, with clenched fists. "Where is the queen?"

"Why do you want to know?" one of them whimpered, shivering with his mates.

"So I can defeat the Phantom Dragon, of course!" Konton thundered. The dogs grimaced at each other.

"No! You can't go after the Phantom Dragon!" one of them yelped. "He's too powerful! He put us in a world of hurt! You can't, you shouldn't!"

"I don't care! WHERE IS QUEEN CHRYSALIS?!" Konton screamed, approaching the dogs.

"If you really wish to know.." one of them got to his feet. "She's hiding, in the mountain ranges. But she'll be coming soon, to take Princess Cadance away. But be warned! The Phantom Dragon will probably be coming for her."

"Then we'll just have to tell her about him..." Konton smirked, folding his arms.


	20. Cutie Pox

It was a beautiful day, a couple of hours since the cutie mark incident. Apple Bloom had been forgiven by her friends and sisters, though she had run off to see Zecora. Zack and Twilight, meanwhile, were going to resume their date. Yes, date. See, they were going to have it before, but they were interrupted by the Apple family, with the cutie mark crisis. It had been quite a stressful time, and especially for Applejack, since they did not know the cure for Apple Bloom's strange symptoms.

Thank Celestia Zecora showed up. She planted a flower of truth, which would only bloom to honesty. Apple Bloom admitted that she took a potion from Zecora's house, getting her all these cutie marks. The flower bloomed, and she ate it, returning herself back to normal. Everyone was quite glad after that.

But now that the problem had been resolved, and things were slowly tipping to the normal side. Zack and Twilight returned to the library, having a little laugh about the past event.

"Poor Apple Bloom. She really should know better, shouldn't she?" Twilight sighed, shaking her head. Zack chuckled with a nod.

"I didn't know one could get so many cutie marks! Seriously, she got one for chimney-cleaning!" he commented. Twilight sniggered.

"Applejack was almost in tears. Poor thing," she said, shaking her head. "But I'm glad it's over now, aren't you? I don't like a lot of trouble."

"Unfortunately a lot of it comes," Zack sighed. "But I am glad it's over- it can get tiring," he scratched his head. "So.. before all that, we were doing something, remember?"

Twilight blushed. "Oh yes.." her face flushed red. "We were.. Uh.. well…"

"Going on a date?" Zack answered cheekily, though his own cheeks were burning. Twilight nodded.

"Yes. That," she chuckled, biting her lip. "Uh.. the thing is.. I've never really been on a date before; heck, I've never really been in love either."

Zack took her hand. "Then I'm sure this'll be fun. Just don't be nervous, okay? It's gonna be fine." Twilight took his words, and they left, leaving the book-sorting duties to Spike and Comrasis.

* * *

The two searched around for a good restaurant. Eventually, they decided to stick simple and go to Twilight's favourite. After all, it sold 'the best hay fries in town'.

They sat down at two comfy seats, facing each other across a mushroom shaped table. A waitress took their order- Zack ordered a sandwich, and so did Twilight. Zack kindly offered to pay for the meals, which Twilight reluctantly obliged to, after much protest.

"You honestly don't have to Zack," Twilight said, with a grin. "I can pay for mine, it's fine-"

"No, I've got it Twi, it's fine," Zack waved his hands, calming her down. He glanced around the restaurant. "This sure is a nice place, huh?"

"Lovely. The best here," Twilight replied. Then she rolled her eyes. "Rarity says all the restaurants in Canterlot are better."

Zack laughed. "Oh, of course she does. Name something Rarity loves more than Canterlot." The two had a chuckle together.

"You're really funny, Zack," Twilight giggled, with a grin plastered on her face. "You've always been a great friend to me, and the others."

"Thank you," Zack smiled. "You've been a great friend back. You and _your_ friends."

" _Friendship_.." Twilight sighed, her eyes full of stars. "What a wonderful and valuable thing. Something that just can't be bought with money."

"No truer words have been spoken," Zack agreed. "No wonder Celestia wanted you to study it," he gazed into your eyes. "And you're doing a great job. You've learnt a lot, and we're all very proud of you, your friends and me."

"Thank you," Twilight spoke back. She laced her fingers together. "But there's a magic I haven't learnt about- love."

"Love?" questioned Zack, shaking his head. "Love is complicated. It has many forms. Friendship is one, familial love is another. But the most complicated- the one that can really change everything- is romance."

"I.." Twilight took a shaky breath. "I'm not very experienced with love, as I was with friendship. All I knew was the love between my family. Now I have learnt about the love between friends," with utter seriousness, she stared into Zack's eyes. "And being with you has taught me another type of love. The one that I don't know about. Not until I started feeling it," she inhaled. "Oh, how do I sum this up? Zack, I love you, and not just as a friend."

Zack didn't say anything for a moment. Instead, he leaned forward, and kissed Twilight on the lips. She was surprised by this movement, since she had never felt something like this before.

But she loved it.

"Uh.." The waitress patiently cleared her throat. The two leapt apart with a yelp.

"Oh.. uh.." Twilight stammered, never feeling so clueless in her life. Zack shrugged.

"Your food is ready.." The waitress said awkwardly, placing two plates of sandwiches on the table. Zack politely thanked her and pulled his sandwich towards him. Twilight did the same, and they ate in silence, for a few, awkward moments. Finally, the two finished their sandwiches, and didn't speak for a few moments. Nobody knew quite what to say.

"Nice day, isn't it?" Twilight finally said, with a weak chuckle.

"Twilight?" Zack asked, momentously.

"Yes?" Twilight replied, feeling a shiver down her spine.

"Sorry." Zack said, scratching his head.

Twilight gasped. "No, don't be sorry! It's fine!"

Zack bit his lip. "I probably should've been more considerate. I mean, you've never experienced romance before and-"

Twilight held up her hand. "Zack," she looked dead straight into his eyes. "It's fine. It's totally fine. I actually enjoyed it.. It never hurts to try new things, does it?"

Zack couldn't argue with that. "You're the best, y'know, Twilight?"

"You're the best, too." Twilight replied, smiling. She stroked Zack's cheek. "Do you love me?"

"More than all of my heart." he answered, pulling her in for another kiss. Twilight was surprised yet again, and savoured the moment like a sweet candy. So this is a date, she thought, her heart beating faster than ever before. I want to go on more!

Zack soon gently pushed her away, his own heart racing. "Thanks for everything, Twilight."

"I can't thank you enough myself," Twilight replied, with a grin. "I've never had a friend like you."

"I have," Zack said, in all honesty. "But you're very special to me. You were always there, even from the beginning," he smiled. "And that's what's so special about you."

The afternoon continued, with them kissing again. It was certainly one neither were about to forget.


	21. May the Best Pet Win!

"Listen up!" Rainbow Dash barked at a group of various animals, who gazed at her with impressionable eyes. "Today you all are competing to be my pet!" She nodded at Zack, who was hovering in the air. "This is Zack, he is my assistant today. You will listen to him as much as myself."

Zack raised his hand in greeting.

Rainbow Dash continued, "Only one of you will survive the challenges, and get the glory of being my pet. The first challenge is speed." She led the creatures and Zack to a racecourse, with red, gritty lanes. After a bit of yelling and instructing, the two lined the creatures up on the starting line.

"Uh.. excuse me." Fluttershy called to her friends, carrying a tortoise.

"Need somethin', Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash called back, seeing her friend. She cringed at the tortoise. "Ugh, what did you bring that thing here for?!"

"What's this?" Zack asked, walking over.

"He just wants to try, Dashie!" Fluttershy pleaded, shoving the reptile against Rainbow Dash's cheek. "Please!"

"No!" Rainbow Dash scowled, shooing him away. "He's not competing!"

"Oh come on Dash," Zack said, stepping next to the tortoise. "Surely he can't be that bad. He's just a turtle-"

" _Tortoise_." Fluttershy corrected.

"Tortoise," Zack rolled his eyes, in a silly way. "We have room for another contestant!"

"No!" Rainbow Dash repeated, folding her arms. Fluttershy suddenly gave her the puppy eyes, which was basically the cute version of the Stare. Rainbow Dash glowered. "Fine, he can compete."

"Yay!" Fluttershy cheered quietly, as Zack placed the tortoise on the starting line.

"You'll do fine, little guy." he said kindly to the creature. Then, he got to his feet and raised his voice, "Ready.. Set… GO!" The animals raced off, with the poor turtle left behind. Zack sighed while Rainbow Dash groaned.

The falcon did the best for speed, and Rainbow Dash was rather impressed. Zack marked it down on a board, and the two high-fived. The next event was balance, which involved the creatures leaping over hurdles, jumping through hoops and so on. Zack helped the creatures by holding up the hoops, while Rainbow Dash timed how long they took. Though the dragon was simply doing nothing more than helping, Rainbow Dash couldn't help feeling special that they were spending time together.

After this, it was animal sound testing, where Zack made a funny sound for jokes, making Rainbow Dash laugh.

"Twilight was right- you are funny." Rainbow Dash giggled, while Zack blushed and went back to recording points for the pet contestants.

Finally, the rest of the events were over and it was time for the final race. The four creatures (five including the tortoise) lined up in a gorge, The Ghastly Gorge, which stretched out a few good miles. Rainbow Dash gave her assistant Zack the tour, explaining she had been through it many times.

"Nice," Zack laughed. "You know, maybe you and I should race through here ourselves one day."

Rainbow Dash laughed too. "Good idea!" her cheeks flushed a pale pink at the thought of that idea. "Anyway, c'mon assistant, a race needs to happen!"

Rainbow Dash flew to the start of the race with the animals, while Zack flew to the finish line with the flag. The other girls were there, standing with the handsome dragon.

"Who do you think'll come first, Zacky Bear?" Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing up to Zack.

"Probably the falcon," Zack answered. But he grinned. "But I'm hoping that the turtle-"

"Tortoise." Fluttershy corrected.

"Tortoise," Zack laughed. "Wins."

About ten minutes later, Zack's prediction was correct and the falcon passed the finish line first, followed by the other animals, save the tortoise. But there was no Rainbow Dash. The girls glanced at each other in worry.

"She'll probably still be in the gorge!" Twilight said, quivering with fear.

"I'll find her." Zack volunteered, raising his hand. He flapped his dragon wings and took to the sky, soaring over the gorge. He soon spotted Rainbow Dash, and much to his surprise, she was riding on the tortoise. He snapped his fingers and he was right by her side, realizing that her wing had been damaged. She smiled at him.

"Hey, assistant," she greeted. She ruffled her sore wing. "Yeah, I got it stuck in a rockslide. Oops," she peered down at the tortoise gratefully. "But if it wasn't for this little guy, I would still be trapped."

Zack grinned, and gave the tortoise a pat. "Let's make the winning a little easier, eh?" he said, raising his hands. The finish line and flag lifted into the air, coming over to the tortoise and Rainbow Dash. The girls followed the line and rushed over to the two. The reptile placed its foot on the line, and Zack made confetti appear. Cheers from everyone crowded the air.

"You're okay, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie cried, tackling the blue girl with a hug. The others laughed and gently separated her and Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" the blue girl agreed, brushing off dust.

"What happened to you? We were mighty worried!" Applejack asked, with fear.

"Let's just say it involved a rockslide." Rainbow Dash sheepishly answered, rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, we're glad you're safe," Twilight said, stepping forward. "Anyway, your new pet is ready for you!" Right on cue, a falcon soared across the sky, spreading its wings. It landed on Rainbow Dash's back, with a proud expression on its beak. The girls cooed in awe, though Zack could see that his friend was not completely satisfied with her new pet.

"Rainbow," he said, flying next to her. "Didn't you say that the pet who crosses the finish line with you will be your pet?"

Rainbow Dash suddenly gasped, "Zack, you're right!" the falcon opened its eyes, as Dash grinned, "I did say just that. None of you crossed the finish line with me… none of you except for the tortoise!" she held the tortoise in her arm, as the falcon squawked in surprise. It bowed its head and shook hands with the tortoise, before wandering off in the defeat. Rainbow Dash rubbed her cheek against the tortoise's.

Zack patted the tortoise's head. "What are you gonna call him, Dash?"

Rainbow Dash gasped, "Right! I need a name for this thing!" she rubbed her chin in thought. "He never gives up.. Y'know, he kinda reminds me of a.. Tank!"

The tortoise, now called Tank, made a noise, which everyone agreed meant 'I like it'.

"Thanks for your help, Zack." Rainbow Dash said, kissing Zack, when the others weren't looking. "With you, it really felt like a date."

Zack pulled away from her, feeling his cheeks burn red and his heart race. "Thanks. You're awesome, Dashie."

* * *

According to information from Twilight, all of Zack's friends had pets, except for Zack himself.

"Maybe you should go and get a pet," Comrasis suggested, while sweeping the floor. "I mean, Fluttershy has lots of options."

"No offence to Fluttershy," Zack replied, gazing at the small dragon. "But I'm not really interested in what she has."

"Well, I'm not really an animal expert, so I'm not sure what else to suggest." Comrasis said, leaving the room to go and clean the dishes. Zack tapped his chin and gazed at the library roof, when suddenly he got an idea.

Zack entered the Everfree forest, passing the creepy and dark trees. There were many cries of different creatures in the distance, though they didn't really scare Zack. In fact, they sort of fitted in with the 'mood'. While he loved the noisy Ponyville and his friends, sometimes Zack just needed a bit of nature out in the Everfree forest.

That was when he heard something ruffling around in the bushes. Zack, using his strong hearing, followed the sword and sniffed the air. He could tell that something was hiding, but he wasn't sure what. He approached the suspicious bush, and gently opened it. Something climbed out. And that something was a chimera.

The chimera had a wolf's head, with glowing yellow eyes. His body was covered in blonde fur, and he was wearing a red and blue jumpsuit. He had a dragon's tail, shark fins and gills and dragon scales. Zack gazed at him.

"Uhh.. Hey there.. What's your name?" he asked, smiling at the chimera.

"I don't have a name." the chimera answered, surprising Zack that he could talk. Then, it hit the dragon that the creature must possess mystical powers, like himself.

"You don't?" Zack asked in surprise. "Why not?"

"I just don't," the chimera shrugged. Then his eyes got a little droopy. "I don't really have a family.. I was abandoned here when I was very small.."

"I see," Zack replied sympathetically. "I guess I'll have to give you a name. How about Jim?"

"I like that." the chimera replied, his yellow eyes lighting up. Then he raised his brow. "So, what would a.. Well.. you're not a pony, but I've seen you in Ponyville before. What are you doing out here?"

"Actually, I came out to find a pet," Zack answered, with a grin. "All my friends have pets except me, so I wanted to get my own."

"I see," Jim said, tapping his furry chin. "Good luck finding a pet, I guess." he said this with sorrow.

"Are you alright?" Zack asked, with concern.

"Well.." Jim bit his lip, "the truth is.. My family were my owners.. I was a pet myself, but they decided I was.. A m-m-monster.. And chucked me out here. Other families have seen me, and they all consider me a monster- so that's what I am.. A monster."

"A monster?" Zack repeated. He shook his head. "You don't seem like a monster to me."

"I don't?" Jim asked, gazing up.

"In fact, the very opposite!" Zack chuckled, rubbing Jim's back. "Say, would you like to be my pet?"

"Oh, yes!" Jim cheered, leaping up and down. Then he backed away. "But you'll probably throw me away like everyone else."

"I would never do that to my pet!" Zack said, very seriously. "A pet can't be replaced. I bet your old family regrets what they did to you. I promise I won't go down that path. You'll be my special pet, okay?"

"Okay." Jim said, baring his canines with a smile. Zack grinned back and led him out of the Everfree forest.

* * *

The six girls were having a pet met up with their pets. Rainbow Dash was showing off her new pet, who now had a propeller hat attached to his back, and was soaring around. However, none of them expected Zack to show up with his new pet. They all gazed in shock as the dragon boy walked down the green hill, with a strange beast behind him.

"Uh.. Zack.. what is that?" Twilight questioned, taking a step back.

"It's creepy!" Rainbow Dash said, hovering in the air. The others, save Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie agreed.

"Who you callin' _creepy_?" Jim asked, suddenly surprising them with his voice. They all gasped. Zack laughed.

"Everyone, this is Jim, my new pet Chimera!" he introduced, gesturing to Jim.

"Nice to meet ya, Jim," Applejack greeted, holding out her hand, which Jim shook. "Sorry 'bout 'em calling you creepy."

"No problem." Jim replied, patting Applejack's shoulder.

"HE'S SO CUTE!" Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy squealed together. The two of them tickled Jim to death, making him giggle with tears. Zack snorted with laughter, the other girls joining in.

* * *

Konton was storming around in his lair, with a rabbit', who had been hopping around. Though, the dragon suspected something was up with him. And he was very right, because the rabbit was a changeling in disguise.

"Did you honestly think you could disguise yourself?" Konton demanded, storming towards the changeling. "No one can fool a dragon." The rabbit didn't move. " _Change_ , you fool!"

Suddenly, a bunch more butterflies, rabbits and other innocent woodland creatures entered the lair, noses twitching. Konton hovered into the air and glared at them all.

"You dare try and trick me?" he yelled, clenching his fists. "You cannot fool a dragon!" With a simple flick of his wrists, he knocked all of the creatures down. Then, one by one, he turned them all back into changelings, scowling at each one. He soon found the original and first rabbit, who was whimpering on the ground. " _YOU_!"

"Please don't hurt me…" it sniffled, sitting in a ball.

"I'll send you _STRAIGHT TO TARTARUS_ IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME ANSWERS!" Konton boomed, his voice shaking the room. "Tell me, what are you DOING IN MY LAIR?!"

The changeling gulped, "Well.. See.. Q-queen Chrysalis.. Thought you were Z-Zachary.. The Phantom Dragon and wanted to see what you were d-doing.. Because for her plan to work, she needs to d-d-distract Zack and defeat h-h-him.."

"Queen Chrysalis?" Konton repeated, his voice's level lowering, but not losing any of its sharpness. "Tell me _more._ "


	22. The Mysterious Mare Do Well

"And over there is Sugarcube Corner," Zack said to Jim, as they walked through Ponyville. "You can get lots of snacks there like cakes, cupcakes, donuts, ice cream, and so on. Their cakes are especially famous," he grinned. "Just past that way is my friend Twilight's library and my house. And that way is Town Hall."

"Wow," Jim observed. "Ponyville is cool!"

"Yeah, it is," Zack replied, with a chuckle. It was quite different from where he came from, after all. "There's lots of different ponies here. It's a huge variety. But they're all very welcoming, and you'll fit in fine."

"What's that?" Jim asked, pointing to a poster on a house's wall. It was a picture of Zack's face- with a bounty underneath it. Zack growled.

"I'll explain the whole story to you later," he answered. "But let's just say a few villains are after me."

"I see," Jim replied. Suddenly, they heard a loud, high-pitched scream. "What was that?!"

"I'm not sure," Zack answered. "But I think we should find out!" The two raced off, following the sound. They found a crowd of people watching peering over a well. Something was in that well, and they were screaming quite a lot. Then, Zack heard a familiar voice:

"Never fear, your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash is here!" a blue-skinned girl, none other than Rainbow Dash, shouted. She turned into a pony and zoomed into the well, at top-speeds. Everyone stopped in suspense. Then, Rainbow Dash emerged, cradling a little girl in her arms. She placed her back on the ground, while turning to a human. Everyone cheered.

"You're my hero, Rainbow Dash!" many of the audience members cried. Rainbow Dash blushed.

"Yeah, I am pretty awesome," she laughed. "Today at Sugarcube Corner, I'll be having a meet and greet!" The audience squealed like a bunch of fangirls. "See you there, everypony!" She flew off in a colourful rainbow, the audience still cheering.

"Is that your friend?" Jim asked Zack.

"Yep," Zack answered. "And it seems she's gotten a bit full of herself."

"Tell me about it," a voice commented behind the two. "She's always been a lil' egocentric, but now she's even worse," The voice belonged to Applejack, who rolled her eyes. "She's acting like she's the world's greatest person."

"Hmm, I can see that," Zack replied. "'Meet and greet'? That is not like her."

"Yeah," Applejack grumbled. "Look, I'm only goin' to this 'meet and greet' to see if I can talk her out of it. Y'all are welcome to come." She walked off to the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

"We'll see how Rainbow Dash goes," Zack said. "Now come on, Jim, there's more of Ponyville to see!"

* * *

"SOMEPONY HELP ME!" A lady in a falling hot-air balloon cried, as she plummeted down from the sky. Zack was in his house when he saw the scene. He exited the cake shop, and found the crowd of ponies watching the falling girl.

"Never fear!" Rainbow Dash's voice called. "your friendly neighbour Rainbow Dash is… here?" She stopped talking when suddenly, someone else soared across the sky and rescued the falling lady. Rainbow Dash, meanwhile crashed into the hot-air balloon, and fell down with it. The crowd of people gathered around the new hero. The new hero was wearing a black underlayer, a purple layer over that, and had a flowing black cape. Their feet were covered in a black matter. An 'M' insignia was on their chest, and there was a large, purple western-style hat on their head. Last but not least, their mask was two, glass-like eye holes, which covered up their eyes.

The mayor of Ponyville stepped forward. "Well, it seems we have a new hero!" she cried. "We shall call them… The Mysterious Mare Do Well!"

Zack gazed at the Mysterious Mare Do Well, using his powers. He could tell that the pony under there was none other than Twilight Sparkle, who had teleported to save the person in the balloon. He gave the Mysterious Mare Do well a wink, to show that he knew who she was. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was seething with jealousy. Zack had a feeling she did not like her victory being taken from her.

Zack headed over to the Mysterious Mare Do Well, who was calmly accepting the praises. She smiled at Zack's appearance, and once the crowd finally vanished, she took off her mask, revealing Twilight Sparkle.

"I knew it," Zack laughed. "What are you doing, Twilight?"

"Teaching Rainbow Dash a lesson," she answered. "You see, we think she's been acting a little cocky lately- not really understanding heroism. So, we're teaching her a little lesson- perhaps you could say a taste of her own medicine."

"Just you?" Zack asked, his brow raised.

"No," Twilight Sparkle answered. "The others and me. We're all posing as superheroes, saving ponies, like Rainbow Dash does."

"Ah, now I understand!" Zack exclaimed. "Maybe I could help out a bit?" Twilight grinned.

* * *

Meanwhile, people were working on a construction site. Things were being pulled by cranes, people were hammering wood together, the usual. Suddenly, one of the workers snagged the lever in a machine, and it began to fizz. It dropped the wood planks it was holding, and they dropped onto the construction site. The construction site began to wobble.

"HELP!" screamed the workers, as their construction began to collapse. Rainbow Dash suddenly appeared, and flew in to save them.

"I can sense that flowerpot's gonna fall on that guy," the Mysterious Mare Do Well said to an invisible Zack. "Pinkie sense." She ran forward, and pushed a construction worker out of the way of a falling flowerpot, like she predicted. Zack, all of the sudden, span around like a tornado, and rescued another construction worker, like he was the Road Runner. Pinkie Pie could tell he was moving, by the way the dirt clouded near his feet. "Whoa… how did you do that?"

"My powers, I guess." Zack answered, appearing next to her, no longer invisble. He was wearing a tuxedo, and pulled a staff from his hair, and started doing a dance. Pinkie Pie gasped.

"Wow! That's amazing!" she exclaimed, with surprise and awe. Zack, for fun, brought a rubber chicken from his mouth. "And hilarious!" Pinkie Pie giggled, turning away to laugh. Zack's body suddenly started to twitch.

"Rainbow Dash!" he yelped. "I think something's gonna fall on her!" Pinkie Pie's tail started doing the same thing, and she nodded in agreement. Their joy vanished as they found their blue friend, attempting to save a construction worker. So, Zack returned to his invisible form, and Pinkie Pie raced forward. Together, they saved Rainbow Dash and the construction worker.

"You saved us!" The construction worker cried, with glee. "Thank you!" Pinkie Pie gave a nod, then she and Zack returned to the construction site to save more people. Rainbow Dash's face went red with rage.

"That is really cool, Zack," Pinkie Pie said, as they rescued someone else. "You're amazing!" She felt her cheeks burn red and her heart beat like a drum. Zack smiled.

* * *

"She's over there," Twilight Sparkle observed, pointing at the dam. "Rainbow Dash. I think she's trying to fix the dam."

"That does not look safe." invisible Zack replied, watching Rainbow Dash nail something in the dam. He predicted that something was going to go wrong, and he was very right. The dam wall began to crack, and shiver, like the construction site had. Water trickled through the cracks, and Rainbow Dash expressed fear. Then, the water broke through, smashing down the path, dragging Rainbow Dash with it.

"AHHH!" Rainbow Dash screamed helplessly.

"Mare Do Well," Zack asked, facing Twilight Sparkle. "Do you think you can stop the dam overflowing?" Twilight Sparkle nodded. Meanwhile, an invisible Zack leaped into the water. He could breath underwater, and quickly spotted a frailing Rainbow Dash. He swooped underneath her, and grabbed her body, then hauled her up.

Rainbow Dash panted, coughing up water from her lungs. She opened her eyes, seeing Mare Do Well fixing the dam.

"You…?" Rainbow Dash breathed, staring at Mare Do Well. The heroine soon finished fixing the dam, and gave a quick glance at Rainbow Dash, before vanishing. Invisible Zack trailed after her.

"Good work, Twi," he said, with a wink.

"I have an idea for you," Twilight Sparkle replied. "Come on, I'll call the Mare Do Well group together and we'll discuss it."

* * *

"You want me to be a villain?" Zack questioned, once Twilight Sparkle had finished explaining. "I don't know, Twilight…"

"It'll give Rainbow Dash and me- Mare Do Well- a chance to work together." Twilight Sparkle replied, the other girls nodding.

"Well, I guess I can do that." Zack said, scratching his head. "But I'm not sure if this'll work or not.."

" _Please_?" Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, sitting near Zack's knees with puppy dog eyes. He chuckled and looked away.

"Alright," he said. "I'll do it." Cheers filled the room.

* * *

Zack arrived near the outskirts of town, and began to shapeshift. He transformed into a goblin, which had dark yellow skin; light orange-red eyes; wings; a horn with armor that had an exploding ball; electric pulse; knock-out gas breath; smoke bomb; strength and reflex, and lazer fingers and eyes. He stormed towards Ponyville, making the civilians gasp. His immense shadow covered the land, sending fear everywhere.

"I am Hobgoblin!" Zack roared, sounding furious. "I have come to create destruction!" The civilians screamed and ran for cover.

"Oh no you won't!" Rainbow Dash cried, flying in the air. Then she spotted Mare Do Well. "Oh nevermind," her voice turned bitter. "The new town _HERO_ is here. I won't bother." she flapped her wings, and returned to the ground, resuming her human form. Mare Do Well, meanwhile, shot a few bolts (trick bolts, Twilight called them- they looked like real magic bolts but actually did nothing to whom they were impacted on) at 'Hobgoblin'.

Rainbow Dash stared harder at 'Hobgoblin'. It reminded her all too familiarly of the Goblin King, who Zack had defeated a little while ago. She gasped, "Is.. that the Goblin King's brother?!" One of the civilians overheard this and started screaming about the Goblin King's 'brother' to the rest of the town. Meanwhile, Mare Do Well kept shooting bolts at Zack.

Zack roared and countered this with an electric pulse, though he purposely missed and exploded an apple barrel. Mare Do Well shot another bolt, and Zack growled. He picked up Mare Do Well and chucked her into the ground (though he made the ground soft so she wouldn't get hurt). Then, he raised his foot and smashed it onto Twilight Sparkle (again, it didn't hurt her a bit).

"I think Mare Do Well needs your help, Dash!" Applejack cried to Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, she'll be fine," Rainbow Dash scoffed. "She's the hero here."

"C'mon Dash," Applejack encouraged. "You're a hero too, y'know," she smiled. "This could be your big chance." Rainbow Dash's eyes lit up- Applejack had said the ticket. The blue girl soared up into the sky as a pony.

"HEY YOU!" she called. " _SLIMY_! COME AT ME!" Zack, pretending to be enraged, reached out for her. Rainbow Dash flew out of the way, and joined Mare Do Well on the ground.

"I do _not_ like you," Rainbow Dash growled at Mare Do Well. "But I'll help you for the sake of my awesomeness." Mare Do Well nodded, and used her magic to throw a boulder at Zack. He growled and batted it away. Mare Do Well turned to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus gave her a look. "What?"

Mare Do Well pointed at her, then at Zack. She gestured with her hooves, making Rainbow Dash very perplexed. Mare Do Well rolled her eyes, then pointed at Rainbow Dash. She made a fishing-rod wheeling action with her hooves. Rainbow Dash gasped.

"Oh! You want me to be bait?" she asked. Mare Do Well nodded vigorously. "All right then. What will you do?" Mare Do Well pointed to her horn. "Got it!" Rainbow Dash took to the skies, and started taunting with Zack. He followed her out of Ponyville, while Mare Do Well followed behind. She lit up her horn, and performed one final spell. It hit Zack from behind, and he groaned. He pretended to pass out, and fall down. The townspeople cheered.

"THEY DID IT!" Pinkie Pie squealed. "Mare Do Well and Dashie did it!" The townspeople gathered in townsquare, including the mane 6, except Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.

"That was awesome!" Rainbow Dash said, flying next to Mare Do Well. "I mean, I was awesome… you were okay, I guess."

"Yeah, she was, wasn't she?" Zack asked, popping behind them. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in surprise to see her friend.

"Oh! Zack! Did you see us take down that goblin thing?" she asked, with glee. "It was _soooo_ cooll!"

"I certainly did," Zack replied. He suddenly changed his appearance to look just like the monster Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well had just defeated. "I saw it all from the monster's point of view."

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped, "Wait… _you_ were the monster?!" She shook her head in shock. The mane 6 surrounded them.

"That's nothing compared to me." Mare Do Well said, taking off her mask, revealing Twilight Sparkle. If Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped any further, it would've broken physics.

"What… _What_ is going on?!" Rainbow Dash stammered, stepping back.

"She's not the only one!" Pinkie Pie giggled. She held up a Mare Do Well hat of her own. She stood next to Applejack, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy. "We all were Mare Do Well!"

"And I designed the costume!" Rarity cried. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"And I was.. I guess you could say a helper." Zack chuckled. Rainbow Dash shook her head.

"Why… why were you doing all of this?" she asked, still shocked.

Zack stepped forward. "Rainbow Dash," he answered. "We think you misunderstood what being a hero is. It's not about the glory or the fame. It's about helping people- and enjoying yourself. I'm not a hero because I want to be popular- I'm a hero because I want to be. I want to _help_ people."

"I see," Rainbow Dash replied, bowing her head. "I guess you're right. I was being a little cocky, huh?" Her friends laughed and nodded. "Yeah… sorry about that."

"We forgive you," Applejack replied, with a grin. "Just don't do it again." All the girls laughed again.

* * *

Later on, Rainbow Dash pulled Zack aside.

"Look.. Zack… I'm sorry about all the superhero stuff." she said, bowing her head.

"We've already forgiven you." Zack smirked, with a chuckle.

"I.. just have something to tell you." Rainbow Dash replied, her cheeks burning. She suddenly kissed Zack full on the lips, catching him by surprise. He kissed her back after a moment, once the surprise was over.

They stared into each other's eyes, totally caught in the web of romance.

"I love you." Rainbow Dash finally said.

"Me too," Zack said back. Then he realized that all the girls loved him- not just Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle. And he loved them too.

* * *

 **~The reviews are not working right now so I can't see any new ones. But I appreciate them all the same! Please note that Zack IS NOT my OC, and the chapter ideas are not mine either. All credit to Lewamus Prime 2016. But thanks for stopping by anyway! :)~**


	23. Sweet and Elite

"I'm so excited!" Rarity squealed, as she, Zack and Jim climbed into the train. "Thank you so much for coming, Zack! It means a lot that I'll have company."

"No problem," Zack replied. Then he gulped. "But Twilight's birthday is coming up… what am I going to get her?"

"A birthday? Wow, how exciting!" Jim commented, wondering what gift he could get Twilight.

"Ah, well, I'm sure you'll figure something out," Rarity said, as the train pulled away from the station, "but I'm going to make her a dress!"

"I'm sure Twilight will love it," Zack commented, making Rarity smile. "I need to give her something really special. But what?" he seemed to be talking to himself by then, as his mind configured a plan to create a birthday gift for the girl that gave him a home and a friendship.

"She will love whatever you give her, I can assure you." Rarity said reassuringly, placing her dainty hand on Zack's lap. Jim nodded in agreement.

"I hope," Zack replied. "I only have until the end of the episode." Rarity raised her brow, and Jim laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, the other girls were having a picnic.

"Your birthday is so close, Twi!" Applejack cried. "Time flies!"

"And wait 'till you see my present," Rainbow Dash giggled. "It'll blow you away!" Twilight Sparkle laughed. Her friends were all amazing.

"Zack's birthday is coming up too." Pinkie Pie commented. She suddenly remembered when Zack told her about his dad, and how he always ruined his birthday. It made her choke up with sympathy. When Zack's birthday came along, she was going to create an unforgettable party. The girls began discussing about a party they wanted to create.

On the other hand, Twilight was thinking about her and the other girls' relationship with Zack, their beloved. She decided that perhaps she didn't mind her friends' feelings for the dragon.

As long as she was the first and the alpha to confess her feelings. That was all that mattered. She joined in on the birthday discussion.

* * *

"This room is so pretty!" Rarity observed her private compartment, in a tower in Canterlot. Zack and Jim were staying in the room next door, separated by a wall. Zack and Rarity were in the girl's room, gazing at the decorations. Rarity grinned, "I must thank Twilight for this! I promise to make her the most amazing dress for her birthday."

"It's very lovely, as that dress will be." Zack agreed, Jim nodding.

"Lovely is such an understatement! This is incredible- no, magnificent- no, splendiferous!" Rarity cried, her eyes full of stars. Zack and Jim chuckled. Their friend could be quite dramatic sometimes. "I may have been born in Ponyville, but I am a Canterlot pony at heart!" Rarity cried.

"We're gonna go and unpack, Rarity," Zack said, standing up. "You can go out if you like." He gave her a wave, then he and Jim left the room. They went to their room and started unpacking.

"Your friend Twilight is really nice letting us stay here," Jim said, organizing the dresser. "It's a shame I don't know her that well. What can I get her for her birthday?"

"I don't know either," Zack replied, shaking his head. "I guess I'll figure something out." Jim nodded.

"Have you ever been to Canterlot before?" he asked.

"Once, when I went to see the princesses." Zack answered, zipping up his suitcase.

"Cool," Jim said. "My old family lived in Canterlot, so I know this area pretty well."

"And so does Rarity, apparently." Zack laughed. "I think she said on the train she's going out for tea or something, then we're meeting her later in the afternoon for dinner. I guess you and I can hang out around town for now, whaddya say?"

Jim bit his lip, "Alright," he said. "Just… I don't want to go near the west. My old owners lived there."

"No problem." Zack smiled in reply. "Let's go!"

* * *

After exploring the town for a bit, it was time for dinner, so Zack and Jim returned to the rooms to wait for Rarity. However, the girl never showed up. Jim started to get worried.

"What if she's hurt or dead?" he asked, trembling. Zack closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"No, she's alive," he answered. "She's just… not here."

It was midnight when Rarity finally returned. Zack and Jim had fallen asleep outside her door, for they had been waiting so long.

"Oh!" Rarity cried in surprise, her hair styled in a modern bun, while she wore a Cinderella-like dress. She gently shook the duo's shoulders; they awoke.

"Rarity!" Zack shouted in alarm. He asked in a persisting but not aggressive voice, "What happened? Where were you?" She looked rather tired, like she had returned from a crazy party.

"I'm so sorry!" the exhausted Rarity said. "I'm so so so sorry! I got invited to a huge Canterlot party with all these important ponies and I just couldn't resist! I know I should've told you, or at least sent a message, but I was so busy I forgot to!"

"It's alright, Rarity," Zack replied reassuringly. "You look really tired. Go to bed, and we'll go out for breakfast to make up for it. How about that?"

"Uh, sure, that sounds, uh, lovely darling!" Rarity chuckled apprehensively in response. Zack assumed her fear was coming from the party, but he wasn't totally sure. He wanted to question her more, but the bags under her eyes made him think otherwise.

"Goodnight, Rarity!" Zack said joyfully, as he and Jim headed off to their room.

* * *

In the morning, Jim and Zack woke to the horrible the surprise that was Rarity had disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" Jim asked, as they peeked through her room's open window. There was no one in sight, except for a barely used mannequin and sleeping cat. Zack used his powers and opened the door, sending light into the room. The cat, Rarity's cat Opalescence awoke and yawned. She trotted over to the two. Zack used his talking-to-animal powers to hear the story.

"Rarity was invited to a breakfast banquet," Zack explained. "But she didn't tell us. In fact, she's going to a lot of parties. And she's barely working on Twilight's dress!"

"Whoa!" Jim exclaimed. "So she's lying to everyone?"

"It seems so," Zack replied, feeling a bit disappointed in his friend. "Perhaps we'll wait 'till later to see what happens."

Of course Rarity did not return until late, and by then she was so tired she collapsed onto her bed, and fell asleep. Zack conceived a plan to follow her as a bird the next day, to find out more about Rarity's behavior, while Jim recorded information. He did such thing, and followed the girl to a group of Canterlot ponies, who were all into fashion like she was. They ate petite food, and Rarity acted more like a fashionista than ever before. She even gossiped about her friend Applejack's hat. But at the same time, she was lying about her life in Ponyville, in act denying that she was from such town.

Zack put the pieces together, and realized that she was just having fun. But she was having a little too much fun, and was completely disregarding making Twilight's birthday present. He was even more shocked to hear that Rarity was attending a garden party.

And this garden party was on Twilight's birthday.

Zack decided this was a little too much, and knew he needed to speak to Rarity. He told Jim the whole story, and the chimera was surprised.

"So, she's not going to Twilight's birthday?" Jim asked, his brow raised. "I can't believe it!"

"Yeah, and she's still lying to everyone!" Zack added. "We definitely need to speak to her."

* * *

Later that day, Zack and Jim met a tired Rarity back at the room, who finally was taking a break from her supposed Canterlot friends.

"So, Rarity, how's Canterlot going for you?" Zack asked, trying not to sound needy.

"Wonderful!" Rarity answered. Then she bowed her head a little. "Well, the people can be a bit rude, but it's mainly wonderful."

"Glad to hear," Zack replied. "So, how's Twilight's dress coming along?"

"Oh!" Rarity cried, her eyes widening. "Er, it's going great! I'm almost done, in fact! Heh heh!"

"Alright then," Zack said, glancing at Jim. "and are you excited for Twilight's birthday?"

"Uh… absolutely!" Rarity answered, playing with a piece of thread she found. Zack gave Jim another look. They both knew she was lying. "Now, uh, excuse me, I have to go… do something. Bye!" Rarity left the two, while clutching a letter for Ponyville.

"Wait! Rarity!" Zack called. "What's that letter?"

"Just a little something." Rarity answered uneasily, as she disappeared. Zack and Jim cast each other another look.

After more spying, they found out that the letter was to Ponyville about Twilight's birthday- it stated that Rarity would not be attending. Zack was mortified.

"I guess she's really not coming." Jim sighed, shaking his head.

"Well, Twilight sent me a secret letter," Zack said, gazing at the sky. "Saying that she and the others are coming here to celebrate her birthday."

"Really?" Jim questioned. "What nice friends!"

"Yeah," Zack replied. "But how will they react when they find out the truth?" he shook his head. "Oh Rarity…"

* * *

Twilight Sparkle and the other girls arrived, shocking Rarity. They unexpectedly attended the garden party with Rarity, Twilight wearing her birthday 'dress'. It was a simple, plain, yellow dress, with nothing more than a pink ribbon to decorate it. Rarity did not want her Ponyville friends to meet her Canterlot friends, so she separated them, without their knowledge or consent.

Zack decided it was time to find out more of what was going on inside Rarity's head. He privately consulted Jim.

"I'm gonna shapeshift to be Fluttershy," he said. "And I'm going to talk to Rarity. Explain what she's doing wrong." Jim nodded, when he suddenly shape-shifted into Pinkie Pie, her long curls and all. Zack gasped. "Wait, you can shapeshift?"

"You don't know what this chimera can do, Zacky." Jim teased. Zack gave a small chuckle, then changed his appearance to Fluttershy's. He took a few steps, feeling strange with her dainty body and long flowy, hair. He pulled a finger through her smooth hair, and started easily flying around. His skirt flapped around, and he felt so much lighter.

And then he realized how beautiful Fluttershy was.

He and Jim went outside, and found Rarity showing off her hat to a posh unicorn. She trotted away, to go inside and back to her Ponyville friends. Zack gave her a wave, and she gasped in surprise.

"Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy!" Rarity cried, in shock. "What are you two doing out here?!"

"We came to find you." 'Fluttershy' answered, in a tone much more confident than her usual.

"Yeah!" 'Pinkie Pie' agreed. "Thought you looked a little distant."

"Why are you out here?" Zack asked calmly.

"Err…" Rarity bit her lip. "I, uh, went to use the little filly's room."

"You were talking to those guys," Zack said, pointing to the Canterlot people. "Rarity.. Are you alright? Zack told me you've been acting a little distant." Rarity was surprised with the amount of confidence 'Fluttershy' seemed to have.

"It seems you're kinda leaving your friends behind." Jim said, nodding.

Rarity shook her head. "I-"

"Rarity," Zack said calmly. "I think… I think you're misunderstanding our friendship. You don't need to lie to everypony about your friends. I mean, you don't need to lie at all! Don't be ashamed about your friends- they're your friends, and if the ponies here don't like them, then that's their problem. And don't break promises either. You did promise to make Twilight a dress after all."

"You're right!" Rarity cried, in shock. "Oh, Fluttershy, I'm so so so sorry! What have I done?" she wiped a dramatic tear from her eye. "I'm calling all of our friends out here!" Rarity rushed away to Twilight's party, while Zack and Jim returned to their normal selves.

"Jim," Zack said to his friend. "Let's rock this party!"

Zack and Jim raced up to a stage, and with guitars, started playing "Sonic dreams of an absolution" professionally. Meanwhile, the other girls were 'ruining' the party by jumping around, and being noisy.

Once Zack's song was finished, he popped up in the real Pinkie Pie's party cannon.

"Whoa! Zack! Where did you come from?" Pinkie Pie asked, with a giggle.

"I don't know," Zack answered, chuckling. The Canterlot ponies were snorting at the supposedly impolite Ponyville ponies, who didn't even notice. Zack's eyes lit up. "CAKE FIGHT!" He chucked a piece of cake at Pinkie Pie, who giggled and chucked a piece back. Soon, a full-fledged cake-throwing war began, and the unsuspecting Canterlot ponies were caught in the middle of it.

"This is the best birthday ever!" Twilight cried, dodging a piece of flying cake.

"Glad you like it, Twilight!" Zack said, rushing over to her. He put a shield around them, so they wouldn't get covered in cake. He handed her a little birthday gift, wrapped in paper. "This is for you, Twi. I hope you like it."

Twilight Sparkle raised her brow, but opened it regardless. She gasped in surprise and wonder.

"Oh, Zack, it's beautiful!" she cried, almost as dramatically as Rarity would. It was a shimmering golden necklace, the charm shaped like a heart. Inside the charm was a picture of her and Zack, smiling together.

"Glad you like it." Zack said, with a smirk. Twilight wrapped her arms around Zack's neck, and he embraced her back.

* * *

After the crazy garden party, Rarity wanted to privately speak with Zack.

"Sorry if I ruined your party or anything," Zack said. "But the truth is… I was that Fluttershy that spoke with you during the party, and Jim was Pinkie. I wanted you to understand about lying to your friends."

"I knew something was wrong with Fluttershy!" Rarity cried. Her expression softened. "But I thank you for your words, Zack. You sure know a lot," she took a deep breath. "That's why.. That's why I love you." Then she kissed him on the lips, smiling. Zack smiled too, and kissed her back.


	24. Secret of my Excess

**Note: I do not own the song "Fireflies" by Owl City.**

* * *

It was a clear, starry night. They walked along the path together, the crickets chirping in the distance. The feeling of bliss surrounded them, like some form of mist. They gazed at each other affectionately, almost holding hands.

"You really didn't have to invite me, Fluttershy." one of them said.

"Yes, I did, Zack," the other replied. "This is for us." Zack shrugged and smiled at his friend. They continued walking, until they got to Fluttershy's cottage. It shimmered in the pale moonlight, like some sort of diamond. Zack had always thought Fluttershy's cottage was beautiful, but seeing it at night was splendiferous. He, admittedly, had seen the cottage at night, but he was too busy worrying about three certain young fillies to notice its beauty.

"Wow…" he breathed, taking in the wondrous display in front of him. Fluttershy laughed.

"Come on in for a late-night tea party," she said, opening the cottage door. "It'll be fun!" Zack nodded and followed her into the house, where the woodland creatures had set up a meal for the two. Fluttershy sat down at the table, eyeing all the cakes and pastries. Zack sat down opposite to her, with a friendly gleam in his eyes.

"This cottage is very pretty, Fluttershy," Zack observed. "You're very lucky."

"I like your house, too," Fluttershy replied, smiling. "Anyway, thank you for coming. I thought you'd decline."

"A chance to hang out with you? Never!" Zack chuckled in response. Fluttershy blushed. She loved hanging out with such a brave, cute and heroic dragon. Zack grinned, "I know you love animals, so…" He gave himself cat ears and a tail, and started to purr gently.

Fluttershy giggled, "May I pet you?" He nodded, so she stroked his head. She couldn't help but smile. Oh, she could not resist the cuteness, and giggled a little more. Zack dipped his head, and transformed into a bunny; he hopped around on the floor. Fluttershy clapped in glee, as Zack changed his shape to a deer. His friend's smile grew, as he nuzzled her arm. Then, he shrunk down, now a squirrel. He did some flips in the air, while wearing a top hat.

When he was finished, Fluttershy clapped like you would at a concert. Zack took a bow.

"That was amazing!" Fluttershy said brightly. "But now it's my turn. Follow me!" Flapping her gentle wings, she flew outside, into the twinkling night. Zack trailed after her, wondering where she was taking him. Then, he realized that they were heading to the outskirts of the Everfree forest, where there was a little river. The woodland creatures came too, and surrounded them.

Fluttershy took a deep breath. She floated nearby the river, and opened her mouth. Then she started to sing, in the most beautiful voice Zack had ever heard.

" _You would not believe your eyes, if ten million fireflies_ …" Fluttershy sang, enchanting Zack with her gentle and melodic tone. He lit up his hands, making fireflies light up the woods, and the woodland creatures clap. " _I'd like to make myself believe, that planet Earth, turns, slowly_ …" Fluttershy continued, fireflies flying around in the air like dazzling lights. Zack clapped along to the song, and soon joined her in the air.

" _It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep_ …" they sung together, their voices lighting up the woods. The fireflies swerved around them, their lights reflecting on the pool of water. The woodland creatures stirred and made affectionate noises, as the two gazed tenderly at each other.

Eventually, they finished singing, and the animals cheered. Zack didn't need to telepathically communicate with the animals to know what they were saying. They had really enjoyed the show. Zack, meanwhile, handed Fluttershy an extremely alluring flower. It had pale pink petals, and a smooth, green stem.

"It reminds me of you." Zack commented. Fluttershy's cheeks turned the same colour as the petals.

"And… I have something to give you, too." she said. She kissed him on the lips, and he kissed her back, the fireflies swirling around in the blissful moment. When they were finished, Zack placed the flower in her hair, watching it shimmer in the light.

* * *

"SPIKE _WAANNNNTTTTTTTT_!" An extremely enraged dragon roared, pounding down the streets of Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle chased after him, shouting apologies at anyone he accidentally ran over or swatted. Eventually, using a bit of trickery, she managed to lure him back to her library home. She locked him in a room, her back pressed against the door.

"I'm gonna need more help," she decided. Suddenly, she heard a pandemonium of noises next door, which did not sound good. She opened the door, and a Spike-sized hole was in the wall. Twilight sighed, "I'm _definitely_ gonna need more help."

* * *

"I'll try to snap him out of being greedy." Zack said, once Twilight had explained the story to him. Spike's birthday party had gone a bit haywire, especially when he had become a greedy monster. Zack had assumed he was messing around at first, but now he knew this was serious. He and Twilight chased after the dragon, who was terrorizing random ponies.

"GIVE IT TO _ME_!" he screamed, roaring furiously.

"SPIKE!" Zack called, waving his hands. Spike faced him, baring his teeth. "Snap out of this!" Zack snapped his fingers, making Spike's eyes go dizzy. However, they returned to their scary dragon state; he roared and stomped away in a cloud of dust.

"After him!" Twilight yelled, Zack at her side. They raced through the town, following Spike's enlarged footprints, as well as the town's cries. Eventually, they were led to Applejack and Rainbow Dash tied up on a tree.

"Don't ask," Applejack grumbled, when she saw Twilight and Zack. "Get us out. We're on a mission."

"Chasing a large Spike?" Twilight asked, while Zack freed the girls.

"That was Spike?!" Rainbow Dash gasped. "No way, man! He's way smaller than that!"

"I'm afraid it is," Twilight sighed, shaking her head. "He's growing because of dragon greed. We need to stop him and make him normal." Suddenly, a squeal could be heard.

"That sounds like Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow Dash cried. Zack snapped his fingers, and teleported them to Pinkie Pie's location- Sugarcube Corner. The girl was throwing cakes at a large, purple, scaly dragon. Spike roared and grabbed the cakes, placing them in a box with other various objects.

"Spike, _stop_!" Zack ordered, flying in the air.

"Spike?" Pinkie Pie questioned, lowering a cake she was carrying. Her anger was replaced with confusion.

"MORE!" Spike protested, his body suddenly enlarging. He was growing even faster, and soon looked like Godzilla.

"Great…" Rainbow Dash mumbled, staring up at the giant dragon. He stormed away, the ground shaking beneath his every step. Roaming civilians ran for cover, screaming their heads off.

"Let's stop him." Zack said bravely to his friends. They nodded, and followed him while keeping an eye on Spike's immense silhouette. It was headed to Rarity's boutique.

"LET ME GO!" a furious voice demanded. It was none other than Rarity, who had been caught in the tail of Spike.

"Rarity!" the girls cried, staring up at their friend in desperation.

"Alright, this is too far," Zack decided, again taking flight. He flew in front of Spike's face, as if he was some kind of pesky insect. "Spike, drop her _now_!" Spike roared and swiped at him. "I'm serious, Spike!" Spike replied by stomping away, still carrying his various objects. The Wonderbolts were now here, and charging at Spike with their super speed.

"WOOHOO!" Rainbow Dash shouted in glee. She shrugged at her friends. "What? The Wonderbolts are cool."

"I don't know if the Wonderbolts will be able to deal with him," Zack said, in honesty. "I'm gonna go after him." Then he flew off into the sky, passing puffy clouds, wind in his hair. He flew over Spike the dragon, Rarity still wrapped in his tail. Spike had trapped the Wonderbolts under a water tank, connected to a mountain.

"Spike!" Zack shouted.

"Zack!" Rarity heard his voice, and cried out to him. "Help!"

"Don't worry, I'm coming, Rarity," he promised, his eye on Spike. "Spike!"

The dragon turned around in agitation, as if Zack was interrupting some very important business.

"Spike, please, listen!" Zack begged, his hands lighting up with yellow power. The rays landed on Spike, making him blink and think.

"Spike?" Rarity questioned. "This brute can't be Spike! He's so sweet and small!" Spike heard Rarity's words, and memories flashed over his eyes- of his birthday party.

* * *

 _"Here you go, Spike!" Zack said, handing Spike a box full of gems. "That's my little birthday bro." The two hugged, before Rarity came over. Spike's heart leapt with fear, as his cheeks burned red. Zack gave him a wink._

 _"I've never seen such a gem," Rarity observed, gazing at Spike's fire ruby, which was his birthday gift to himself. "It's… so beautiful." Her eyes were full of wonder._

 _"Yeah. And delicious." Spike commented, with a nervous chuckle. Rarity raised her brow._

 _"Delicious?" she questioned. Her expression softened. "Well, uh, enjoy your... beautiful gem, then."_

 _"Wait, Rarity!" Spike cried, holding up a claw. "If… it really means so much to you, why don't you have it? I'd rather see you have it and be happy than to eat it myself."_

 _"Oh, Spike!" Rarity exclaimed, throwing her arms around Spike's neck. "You are so generous!" She kissed him on the cheek, which made him blush like a tomato._

* * *

Large Spike rubbed his eyes, then set them on that exact gem around Rarity's neck.

"Spike…?" she asked, in disbelief. Spike shook his head, and began to shiver. Suddenly, his body shrunk down to his normal size. "SPIKE!" Rarity cried, as they floated in the air. Then they started plummeting down.

"I've got this!" Zack shouted, forming a soft platform out of his magic to catch them. He gently lowered them to ground, giving them a safe passage to climb out.

"Oh Spikey Wikey!" Rarity squealed, once they were out of harm's reach. "I didn't realize…"

"I'm sorry Rarity, it's all my fault," Spike sniffled. "I'm a bad dragon."

"Don't be silly, Spike!" Rarity insisted, placing a hand on the dragon's back. "You're a wonderful dragon- you saved us! Zacky played his part, but you realized in the end what was right." Then she kissed him on the cheek again, and he fainted in utter awe. Rarity giggled, and made her way over to Zack.

"Nice job up there." Zack congratulated her, with a smile.

"I could say the same for you, my knight in shining armor," Rarity replied, kissing Zack on the cheek as well. "I'm lucky to have heroes like you, Zacky Wacky." Zack chuckled and embraced her; she embraced back, naturally.


	25. Hearth's Warming Eve

"The queen is this way," a servant said to Konton, who nodded. The two walked for a little while, with nothing but silence and dim light around them. Finally, they stopped. "We are here."

"Who are you?" a female voice demanded. It belonged to a tall, black, shiny pony, with holes in her flesh. She had a smooth, dark cerulean mane, and scary green eyes. She appeared to insect-like traits as well, and hissed as soon as Konton entered.

"I am Konton," Konton answered, bowing. "And I have come to offer my services. Are you aware of the Phantom Dragon?"

"I certainly am," Queen Chrysalis replied, raising her brow. "He is quite a menace to villains."

"Yes," Konton agreed. "I'm his brother, which is why I look like him. But I'm definitely not him. I can help you."

"How?" Queen Chrysalis, staring intensely at Konton.

"I know you are busy with your plans," Konton said. "But here is my plan. If you want to succeed, then I suggest you listen." Chrysalis tapped her chin, and gestured for Konton to start talking. He smiled darkly.

* * *

"Wow… Hearth's Warming Eve is really beautiful." Zack admired, staring at his surroundings. Canterlot was covered in snow, and decorated very festively. It reminded Zack of Christmas, which made him think of his world. What was happening there?

"I know, right?!" Pinkie Pie squealed in delight. "Just look at this!" She rushed off to the nearest bakery, and bought a gingerbread house. She then swallowed it in one gulp, crumbs spraying everywhere. Her friends broke into laughter.

"Alright, come on everypony," Twilight Sparkle said, in her leader-voice. "Let's get to the stage." The group of friends headed over to the Canterlot stage, which was also decorated festively. They entered backstage, with various other people, and began to dress up. Zack found his costume, which was a knight costume for the unicorns. Jim was also a knight, but he was with the pegasus ponies. As well as that, Zack and Jim were providing the special effects, so the performance appeared very real.

"Zack?" Rarity called, appearing behind Zack. Zack turned around and faced her with a smile.

"Hey, Rarity," he greeted. "Like my costume?"

"It's wonderful," Rarity commented, with a faint blush. "But not as wonderful as you."

Zack waved it off. "Your costume is lovely, too. You look like a real princess."

"Good! Princess Platinum would accept nothing but the best," Rarity replied. "Anyway… um… I just wanted to ask you, after the performance… do you want to… maybe… go to the local cafe… or something? Heh heh…"

"That would be wonderful, Rarity," Zack smiled, patting Rarity's shoulder. "I'd love to."

"Thank you, Zacky!" Rarity cried, hugging him. "I thought you'd say no!"

"Why would I say no?" Zack chuckled, hugging her back.

"Attention everyone!" Spike's voice called. "We're on in five minutes!"

"We'd better keep preparing," Zack said, pulling away. "We've got a big performance on."

* * *

Spike began telling the story of Equestria's history. While he did that, Zack used his powers to make the cardboard sun and moon rise (as well as making them glow) and plants grow. However, as the tribes began to run out of food, his powers created a realistic winter, as well as screams from Windigos.

The acting tribes starting arguing and fighting over food, which caused the weather to get worse and less food to grow. So, they held a meeting, where they could hopefully come to an agreement. This is when Zack appeared as a character. He stood as a knight behind Rarity, who was playing Princess Platinum. 'Princess Platinum' walked over to a table and sat down, facing the leaders of the other tribes- Commander Hurricane, leader of the pegasi (Rainbow Dash) and Chancellor Puddinghead, leader of the earth ponies (Pinkie Pie).

"First thing I wanna know is why are the earth ponies hogging all the food?" 'Commander Hurricane' demanded, stamping 'his' hoof on the table. Ponies cheered in agreement.

"Us?! We're not hogging all the food! _You_ are!" 'Chancellor Puddinghead' protested. She grinned. "Oh wait, you're right: it's us. But it's only because you meanie pegasusususes are making it snow like crazy!"

"For the hundredth time, we're not making it snow!" 'Commander Hurricane' retorted. "It must be the unicorns! They're doing it with their freaky magic!"

"I beg your pardon! A unicorn would _never_ do such a thing!" 'Princess Platinum' scoffed. Zack's grip tightened on his fake sword. "Hmph!"

"Hmph!" the unicorns scoffed.

"Well, if you non-Earths aren't gonna stop using your weirdo powers to freeze us all, then I'm just plum out of ideas!" 'Chancellor Puddinghead' groaned, face-palming on the table.

"What a _shocker_. An Earth pony with no ideas!" 'Commander Hurricane' rudely replied.

"Commander Hurricane, please cease with the insults!" 'Princess Platinum' exclaimed.

'Commander Hurricane' put 'his' hooves on the table, and leaned over. "You're not the boss of me, your royal snootiness!"

"I beg your pardon?! I am a _princess_! I won't be spoken to that way!" 'Princess Platinum' raged, buffing her mane.

"Well, I'm leaving first!" 'Commander Hurricane' shouted, racing to the door. 'Chancellor Puddinghead' and 'Princess Platinum' went after him, and they got into a fight. Meanwhile, the tribes screamed insults at each other.

"And the blizzard raged on." Spike (the narrator) narrated. Wind howled outside, and the Windigos' cries filled the stage.

* * *

"Your highness!" Clover the Clever, played by Twilight Sparkle, raced towards Rarity. "Did the other tribes see reason as I predicted?"

"Those other tribes are _impossible_!" 'Princess Platinum' complained. "I, for one, can no longer bear to be anywhere near those lowly creatures. The unicorns are noble and majestic. We will no longer consort with the likes of them! Isn't that right, Sir Orion?"

"Yes m'lady!" 'Sir Orion', also known as Zack, replied.

"Exactly!" Rarity sighed. "I can't stand being this food deprived for so long. We are cold and hungry, and basically dying." She let out a dramatic wail.

"Well," 'Clover the Clever' spoke up. "The other tribes-"

"We must find a new land!" 'Princess Platinum declared. "Come on, Clover the Clever, we must go! Sir Orion, pack my bags."

"Of course, m'lady." Zack bowed respectfully.

* * *

The next part of the show focused on the three tribes finding and fighting over the new land. Zack and Jim, working together, created more special effects.

"The name is Pegasopolis!" 'Commander Hurricane' roared.

"Earth!" 'Chancellor Puddinghead' raged.

" _Pegasopolis_!" 'Commander Hurricane' roared again, Private Pansy (Fluttershy) standing behind 'him'.

"Unicornia!" 'Princess Platinum' cried.

'Commander Hurricane' crossed 'his' arms. "I say we fight for the land. May the best pony win!"

Jim made a wind effect.

"That's barbaric. Clover the Clever? Throw that brute into the dungeon!" 'Princess Platinum ordered Twilight Sparkle.

"What dungeon? Look, perhaps if we all calmed down…" 'Clover the Clover' began.

"I agree. Let's all calm down." 'Smart Cookie' (Applejack), the secretary of the earth ponies, agreed.

"I vote for calm." 'Private Pansy' said. 'Commander Hurricane' glared at her.

"I'll have you court-martialed for insubordination, Private! We settle this on the battlefield!" 'he' growled. Suddenly, snowball landed on his cheek. 'Princess Platinum' started laughing, until a snowball landed on her face. This time, it was 'Commander Hurricane's' turn to laugh.

"Who _dares_ throw a snowball at royalty?!" Rarity screamed. 'Chancellor Puddinghead' smugly held up a snowball. Then her eyes widened.

"Hey, where did all this snow come from anyway?" she asked. Zack and Jim did their work, and soon, as well as the calling of Windigos, snow covered the land.

"Everypony was forced to seek shelter. They searched high and low, but the only shelter for miles was a cold and desolate cave. And, of course, the three tribes had to share it, and nopony was too happy about that." Spike narrated. The tribes were forced into a cave, and immediately began bickering.

"Keep going, Jim," Zack whispered to his friend. "We've just got to increase the ice a little." Jim nodded, and the Windigos howled again. As the tribes continued their argument, ice filled the cave. It blocked the door, and decreased the cave's temperature. The three secretaries were cornered into the middle of the room. The Windigos swirled above them, continuing their howling.

"W-W-What is that... _thing_?" 'Private Pansy' asked, shivering.

"They must be... windigos!" 'Clover the Clever' answered. "My mentor Star Swirl the Bearded taught me about them. They're winter spirits that feed off fighting and hatred. The more hate the spirit feels, the colder things become!"

"Then... this is _our_ fault," 'Smart Cookie' said, bowing her head. "We three tribes... we brought this blizzard to our home by fightin' and not trustin' each other. Now it's destroyin' this land, too."

"And now our bodies will become as cold as our hearts... _all because we were foolish enough to hate_." 'Clover the Clever sighed'. 'Private Pansy' smiled.

"Well, I don't hate you... I actually hate Commander Hurricane a lot more than I hate you guys." she admitted. The others giggled. "Actually, I don't really hate him, I just really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, _really_ dislike him." The laughter grew louder, and the Windigos snorted, not liking the positivity.

"Well, I don't hate you guys either." 'Smart Cookie' confessed.

"Nor do I." 'Clover the Clever' agreed. The Windigos began to bellow in protest, although the ice and snow was creeping up the three ponies.

"No matter what our differences, we're all ponies." 'Smart Cookie' said, and the three friends hugged, and show covered them. Suddenly, 'Clover the Clever's' horn began to glow pink, and exploded the ice. The pink magic soared into the Windigos, and began destroying them, until they turned into a pink mess, and disappeared, leaving behind a floating, fiery heart.

"What was that?" the shocked 'Private Pansy' asked.

"I didn't know unicorns could do that!" 'Smart Cookie' agreed.

"I didn't either," 'Clover the Clever' said. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. But I know it couldn't have been just me. It came from all three of us, joined together, in friendship." The ponies placed their hooves in together, with smiles.

* * *

"All through the night, the three ponies kept the fire of friendship alive by telling stories to one another and by singing songs, which of course became the winter carols that we all still sing today. Eventually, the warmth of the fire and singing and laughing reached the leaders, and their bodies began to thaw. And it even began to melt their hearts," Spike narrated, spreading his hands. Zack and Jim used their effects again, as the ponies created their new land and made amends. "The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful land, and live in harmony ever afterwards. And together, they named their new land…"

"EQUESTRIA!" Everyone cried. Then, the main cast members lined up on stage, while Zack and Jim produced festive lights and colours. Singing filled the hall, as well as the feeling of bliss.

"Nice show, right guys?" Zack asked. "Yeah, you reading? I'm talking to you. Anyway, Happy late New Year, sorry for the long wait. Two authors were supposed to keep up for this story but hey, people have lives and get busy. I think on the next chapter, the next girl is going to reveal her feelings like the others. Can't tell you her name but I'll give you a hint: it's a colour and a dessert, he he."

"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie agreed, leaping next to Zack. "It's gonna be a blast!"

"Anyway, I had better go," Zack said. "I've got a date with Rarity. See you next time!"

* * *

Zack and Rarity sat down at a table at a beautiful cafe. They ordered some food, and talked for a little while. Rarity couldn't contain her excitement- she loved being with Zack. He was so charming and kind to her. But something made her curious.

"Zack?" she asked. "Who were you and Pinkie Pie talking to?"

"Oh, no one," Zack cheekily replied. "Just some old friends."

Rarity laughed. "All right, then." She kissed Zack's cheek. "You are a wonderful knight, Zack, and not just on a play." She kissed him on the lips this time. He kissed her back, and the Fire of Friendship blazed brilliantly.


	26. Family Appreciation Day

"Have I ever told you how awesome this little cave is?" Jim said to Zack, one morning in the latter's house.

"I don't know," Zack laughed. "Maybe about… ten times?"

Jim giggled. "Sorry. It just is _so_ awesome. Better than my old house." He sighed, and stared at the ceiling. "Hey, did you live anywhere before Ponyville? Or were you born here?"

Zack chewed his lip. "No… actually, I was born very far from here."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "Dodge City?"

"Oh no," Zack said, shaking his head. "Much further than Dodge City. Much _much_ further."

"Alright…" Jim tried to guess. "Las Pegasus?"

"Jim," Zack began. "I wasn't even born in Equestria. I was born in another world."

"Wait, _what_?" Jim gaped, tilting his head to the side. Zack chuckled.

"Let's go for a walk, and I'll explain," he said. Jim shrugged, happy to go for a walk, and the two left. Zack told his tale, "So, I was born on this planet called Earth. They have humans, like what we are now, except they can't change into ponies, dragons or whatever. They've got a lot of… technological advances we don't have here, and the moon and the sun aren't risen by anyone. They rise on their own. They also don't have any super powers."

"Sounds… interesting." Jim commented, as they walked past Sugarcube Corner. "So, were you a human?"

Zack nodded. "I'm half-human. My dad is human, and my mom is a dragon. I lived in this country called America, with my parents. My dad was a huge jerk, and treated my friend and I unfairly. My mom was the total opposite, and loved me to pieces. My life was pretty normal- I went to school, read manga, hung out with my friends… and then I died, and was regenerated here."

"Nice story," Jim said. "What happened to your family? Your mom and dad?"

"Well, Dad stayed in that world, thank goodness," Zack answered, with a small grin. "Mom came here with me though, as a dragon. I don't see her much, but I think she's watching over me."

"I bet she'd be proud." Jim said. His eyes flickered over something. "Hey, it's Pinkie Pie!"

"ZACKY WACKY! JIM!" Pinkie Pie cried, racing over to them. "I was just looking for you! Oh my goodness, you have no idea how EXCITED I AM!"

"What's up, Pink?" Zack asked, smiling at her.

"I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER, ZACK!" she squealed. Then she took a deep breath. "Do you… uh, wanna go into Sugarcube Corner… for a… what's it called-"

"A date?" Jim inquired. Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up.

"YES! THAT!" she cried, panting. "Will you go on a date with me? Like, right now, since I made all the cakes and jazz-"

"Of course, Pink," Zack replied. He winked at Jim. "Catch ya later, bud. If you don't mind."

"No, no, it's fine," Jim said, waving it off. "Have fun with… uh, Pink, then." Zack nodded at him, then followed Pinkie Pie into Sugarcube Corner. As usual, it smelled like freshly cooked pastries and cakes, that made Zack extremely hungry. On the table, Pinkie Pie had set up an arrangement of delectable goods, that all smelled wonderful.

"Come and sit for the greatest selection of cakes for Ponyville's hero!" Pinkie Pie cried, eagerly waiting for Zack to sit opposite her. "Including the mystery cake! What could be in that? NOPONY KNOWS!"

Zack giggled and joined her. For a few moments, the two devoured the baked goods, and Zack turned a few into various shapes, making Pinkie Pie fall over with laughter. Soon, he was laughing as well, and both were rolling all over the floor in tears, all because a gingerbread biscuit looked like that Goblin King that Zack had defeated.

Finally, Zack regained himself, and stood up, helping Pinkie Pie as well. They smiled for a few moments.

"You're my big cuddly bear…" Pinkie Pie giggled. "I love you, Zacky Wacky…" Then they kissed. It felt better than eating all the cakes in the entire bakery.

* * *

Apple Bloom sighed miserably. With no intention in mind, she trotted through the town, staring at the dirt road. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to offend her grandmother, but she didn't want her to come to Family Appreciation Day either. Her older siblings couldn't come because they were busy harvesting zap apples. Apple Bloom sucked in a deep breath, blinking her amber eyes. She started to get lost in her thinking, about zap apple jam…

"...Bloom..."

 _How much money they would make…_

"...pple Bloom…"

 _Was her grandmother worth it for that?_

"Apple Bloom?" The voice sucked her out of her thoughts. She faced its owner with a smile.

"Howdy, Zack," she greeted. "What're you doing here?"

"I was heading to Rarity's house to pick up a jacket when I saw you moping around," Zack answered, with concern. "What's wrong?"

Apple Bloom sighed. "Well I've got Family Appreciation Day comin' up at school and I have to choose one family member to come with me and the only one available is Granny Smith but she's gonna embarrass me and make me look dumb in front of my entire class but I don't wanna make her feel bad and I don't know what to do!" She finished her rant with a few deep gulps of air.

"Whoa, chill out, AB!" Zack chuckled. "So, you don't want to take Granny Smith to school for… what was it, Family Appreciation Day, because she'll embarrass you, right?" Apple Bloom nodded depressingly. "How will she embarass you?"

"Well, Diamond Tiara came before, and saw me leapin' around buckets of water in a bunny suit, while singing the alphabet," Apple Bloom answered. "I know it sounds weird, but it's part of the zap apple production. Anyway, she teased me, because my Granny was making me do it."

"Zap apple production?" Zack questioned. "What's that?"

"Oh, long story," Apple Bloom said. She jerked her head in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. "Come to the farm and I'll tell ya. If you… don't need to see Rarity first."

"Rarity!" Zack gasped. "I'll go and see Rarity, then I'll meet you at the farm."

"Who's meeting where?" Jim asked, appearing before them. Apple Bloom raised her eyebrows.

"Oh!" Zack laughed. "Apple Bloom, this is my pet chimera and best friend, Jim."

"Nice to meet you." Jim said, as he and Apple Bloom shook hands. "So, what's going on?"

"Apple Bloom has a little problem," Zack explained. He faced Apple Bloom. "Is it okay if Jim comes too?"

"Not a problem!" Apple Bloom said cheerfully. Zack grinned and ruffled her hair.

"Thanks, AB," he replied. "You two go to the farm, and I'll meet you there soon."

* * *

Apple Bloom and Jim went to Sweet Apple Acres, the glorious farm full of apple orchards. For a little while, Jim was boggled.

"Wow… nice farm!" he complimented.

"Thank you," Apple Bloom replied. "This is where I live, and where I harvest apples. Or for now, zap apples."

"Zack mentioned you have a problem," Jim said. "Are the zap apples part of it?"

"Well… kinda, not really," Apple Bloom answered, sighing. "It's to do with my Granny and school."

"I see," Jim said, contemplating. He spotted Zack arriving, and gave him a wave. "Zack! Hey!"

"Hey, guys," Zack greeted, smiling. He faced Apple Bloom. "Alright, AB, what're zap apples?"

"Zap apples," Apple Bloom breathed. "Zap apples are amazing things, especially since they're rainbow. They're electric, and will shock you if you touch 'em. So you have to harvest them at just the right time. Then, we make them into jam, and sell 'em for money."

"So what was the point of doing that… bunny alphabet thing?" Zack asked.

Apple Bloom blushed. "Just a process leadin' up to the harvestin'."

Zack smiled. "Is the jam good?"

"Good?" Apple Bloom burst into a shot of laughter. "It isn't good! It's amazing! It's nothin' like you've ever tasted before!"

"It must make a lot of money, then." Zack admired, Jim nodding in agreement. "Anyway, we'll go back to your problem. The… Granny Smith incident."

Apple Bloom's mood dropped. "Yeah… that. I just don't know what to do."

"You know what you should do?" Zack asked. He kneeled down to her height. "Who cares what the other girls think? If they don't like your grandmother, that's their problem, not yours. I'm sure your grandmother has some amazing things to show the class, rather than just embarrassing things. Give her a chance, AB, and don't listen to Diamond Tiara. She doesn't understand."

"Really?" Apple Bloom asked. Zack squeezed her shoulder.

"Really." he grinned. "I bet they'd be amazed by those zap apples."

"Yeah!" Jim agreed. "I haven't even seen 'em, yet I'm amazed!"

Apple Bloom chuckled. "Then I suppose I'll have to show 'em to you on the trees! Follow me!"

* * *

The next day, Zack received two jars of zap apple jam, and a letter from Apple Bloom:

 _Dear Zack,_

 _You were right! Granny ended up telling the class the story of Ponyville's history, and they were amazed! Now it feels like I have the best family member ever! As for Diamond Tiara, she got to hop around water cans in a bunny suit while singing the alphabet. Got what she deserved, eh?_

 _Anyway, thank you again. I hope you like the jam! It's fresh._

 _~Apple Bloom_

And he enjoyed every bit of it.


	27. Baby Cakes

Zack felt his companionship with Jim was growing quite well. The two were spending a lot of time together, hanging out, exploring, or testing powers. That fine sunny morning, they were doing the first option in Zack's cave.

"I'm loving this town," the chimera said brightly. "It's so… friendly. I can understand why Twilight- and you- want to stay here."

"Well, it was my… I guess you could say 'birthplace'." Zack chuckled as a response. Then, there was a knock on the door. Zack raised his brow and headed over to the door, opening it. Standing there was his candy-loving friend, Pinkie Pie.

"Zacky Wacky!" she greeted brightly.

"Hey, Pink," Zack replied. "What's up?"

"The sky, silly," Pinkie Pie giggled. She shook her head. "Anyway, I've got something to ask you."

"Yes?" Zack questioned.

Pinkie Pie's voice became a little nervous. "Wanna help me babysit?"

* * *

The first thing Zack heard at Sugarcube Corner was the babies crying. Pinkie Pie had explained Mr. and Mrs Cake had recently had two new babies; one was a pegasus and the other was a unicorn, even though their parents were earth ponies. This was because the parents had distant relatives of such pony types. So they typically stuck to their natural, human form. They were currently in such form, playing on the floor.

"And Mr. and Mrs Cake have trusted me to look after them!" Pinkie Pie said brightly, also in her human form. She kneeled down to the babies and tried to grab them. They scrambled away, before Pinkie Pie could grab them. She growled, "Come back here!" However, she could not catch the babies, which agitated her. But she shook it off. "It's fine, Pinkie… it's fine…"

"Whoa, chill out, Pink!" Zack said, with a chuckle. "Come on, I'll get them out." A rattle appeared in his hand; he shook it. The babies curiously surrounded him, blinking their small eyes. Zack winked at them. Then he used his cartoon powers to make himself look silly; the babies giggled away. Pinkie Pie herself couldn't help but laugh along.

"Alright," she said brightly. "It's time for lunch!" She picked up the joyful babies and placed them into high-chairs. Then she brought out some baby food the Cakes had asked her to use. The babies stared at it in disgust, as their female babysitter scooped some in a spoon. "Here comes the airplane!"

"Yucky!" Pound Cake, the male baby shouted, hitting the food away. It landed on Pinkie Pie's face.

"Now come on, you two," Pinkie Pie pleaded. "You have to eat!" She brought the food out again, but Pumpkin Cake spilled it all over Pinkie Pie.

"No!" she wailed, and she and her brother started crying.

"Aw, guys!" Pinkie Pie attempted to cheer them up, but they kept crying.

"Don't worry, Pink," Zack assured her. "I've got this." He turned to the infants and picked up the food. He transformed the food into funny shapes, and made funny noises. The babies perked up, giggling at the food. Then they ate it, while smiling at Zack. Pinkie Pie grinned, watching the babies' joy surface in the presence of Zack.

Pinkie Pie imagined Zack would be a great dad if he had kids of his own. Then she imagined she and her beloved getting married, in pure bliss. After that, starting a family. She wondered if her imagination would become a reality. She hoped so.

Soon, the infants were happy, and so was Pinkie Pie. She beamed gratefully at Zack and he winked back at her. The babies, however, wanted attention, and Pinkie Pie decided to give them some entertainment. She prepared a little concert for them, while Zack sat the babies down.

"Oink!" Pinkie Pie cried. "Look at me, I'm a pig!" She danced around on the stage, bursting into song. The babies stared in disbelief, as she continued singing. Zack clapped enthusiastically, hoping the babies would join in. Unfortunately, they started crying, which caused Pinkie Pie to stop. She bumped into a shelf; a bag of flour fell off it. Zack teleported next to Pinkie Pie, an idea suddenly forming in his head. The flour landed on his head, covering him in flour. Then he made some silly noises and dances; he looked hilarious.

"Zacky!" Pinkie Pie giggled, as the babies piped up. They were starting to like Zack, and slowly but surely, Pinkie Pie. They gurgled and cooed, waving their chubby fingers. Pinkie Pie leaped over to them, scratching under their chins. "It's time for beddy byes!" she said brightly, picking them up. Zack followed, as Pinkie Pie took the babies to their bedroom. She placed them into a crib, then put a blanket on top. The babies wiggled around.

"Nighty night, Pound and Pumpkin Cake!" Pinkie Pie bid them goodnight cheerfully. Zack gave them a wave, and the two turned around to exit. However, the babies somehow managed to climb out. They opened up a box of toys, and brought the toys out. Pinkie Pie tutted and picked them up.

"Come on, you two," she said, though not sternly. "Bed time!" She put them back into bed, then locked the toy box, with various locks. Zack raised his brow, but didn't ask as Pinkie Pie brightly followed him out of the room. Suddenly, they heard a noise. The two raced back into the room and saw that Pumpkin Cake was using her unicorn magic to open the box, while Pound Cake was hovering in the air.

"Whoa, guys!" Zack cried, as Pumpkin Cake levitated the toys and Pound Cake flapped his wings and walked on the ceiling.

"We need a better way to stop them!" Pinkie Pie said. She quickly grabbed the babies, forcing them to stop what they were doing. She placed them underneath a basket, and re-locked the toy box. This time, she made it much more secure, and Zack hoped she wasn't overreacting. Then finally, she collapsed, "That should keep them locked up."

"Uh… I hate to burst your bubble…" Zack pointed to the basket. Pumpkin Cake was using her magic to escape, while her brother soared towards the sky. The little unicorn opened the toy box again, bringing out the toys. Pound Cake flew around, bumping into things and knocking things over. Pinkie Pie chased after him, while trying to keep an eye on Pumpkin Cake. Zack shook his head at the female foal and took her toys away, making sure she wouldn't cause anymore magic problems.

However, Pumpkin Cake simply teleported away, while Pound Cake knocked Pinkie Pie off and launched her into the crib. The pink girl gazed at the damage around her, and how out of control the babies were. She just couldn't take care of them. If it wasn't for Zack, the bakery would be burned down. But it was that simple fact: she couldn't look after them. She thought she could, and she had told the Cakes this. But she couldn't. She had lied to herself.

Pinkie Pie suddenly burst into tears. Zack, who was herding the babies, stopped in his tracks. Even the babies went silent, as they all stared at Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie…?" Zack asked.

"I… I _can't_ … do it." she sobbed, tears pouring out of her eyes like waterfalls. Zack and the babies stared at each other.

"What'd you say, guys?" he asked. "Should we cheer her up?" The babies gurgled as an answer. Zack grinned, and snapped his fingers. A bag of flour hovered over their heads; it opened and the flour drenched them. All three pulled a silly face; a smile surfaced on Pinkie Pie's lips.

"You guys…" she giggled.

"Better now, Pink?" Zack asked, poking his tongue out. Pinkie Pie couldn't help it. Zack was just too funny.

"Oh Zack…" she sighed. "I wouldn't be anywhere if it weren't for you!"

"It's alright, Pinkie," Zack chuckled, striking a pose. He faced the babies, who were giggling. "Alright, come on you two, it's time for bed now. For real." The babies groaned in displeasure, but didn't try to stop Zack. He placed them into bed, then tucked them under the blanket.

"G'night, you two!" Pinkie Pie called to them.

"Pinkie… Pie…" Pound Cake said sleepily.

"Zack…" Pumpkin Cake added. Zack and Pinkie Pie stared at each other, before grinning. Pinkie Pie launched herself onto Zack, and flooded him with kisses.

"Thank you so much!" she squealed quietly. "I wouldn't have been able to have done this without you."

"It's alright, Pinkie," Zack replied, feeling his strong love for her. "Come on, I have a surprise for you."

"Ooh, I love surprises!" Pinkie Pie said, holding Zack's hand. They grinned lovingly at each other, as they headed downstairs. Pinkie Pie gasped as she saw a pink, strawberry cheese cake waiting for her.

"For you," Zack said. "Because I love you. And you deserve to be happy."

"Oh my Celestia!" Pinkie Pie squealed. She hugged Zack and kissed him again, which caused his face to flush bright red and his head and ears to spin around. He let out a goofy laugh, as Pinkie Pie snickered, "Silly Zacky."

"Yes…" Zack replied dreamily. "I hope you like it."

"I will!" Pinkie Pie said brightly. "But not as much as I like you!" And then they kissed again. Pinkie Pie reminded herself to babysit with Zack more often.


	28. The Last Roundup

Everyone gathered in central Ponyville to send Applejack off. Zack and Jim came too, to cheer on their friend, though they didn't really know what for.

"It's for a rodeo competition!" Apple Bloom explained excitedly. "Every year, my big sister competes in a rodeo, and always wins first prize! And the prize money. We always send her off with a big cheer from the town!"

"Sounds awesome." Zack admired. He waved to Applejack as she walked onto the stage, beaming down at the denizens of Ponyville. They all cheered and called her name, as the Mayor explained Applejack's intentions to donate her prize money to fix the town hall. Then, Applejack's friends and family followed her to the train station, to send her off.

"Thanks for all the luck wishes, everypony," Applejack chuckled. "But I won't need it."

"Don't steal my line, AJ!" Rainbow Dash joked.

"We'll miss you, big sis!" Apple Bloom said, giving her sister a hug.

"Me too," Applejack replied. She hugged her grandmother and Big Mac, before all her friends rushed in to hug her. Suddenly, the train honked behind her. "Golly! The train'll be leaving soon. I had better get going."

"See you, AJ. Do well for us." Zack said, hugging Applejack. She nodded at him, and shook Jim's hand. Then she climbed onto the train, and waved to her friends.

"See you, everypony!" she cried.

"Don't forget to bring back all that money!" Mayor Mare called back, while the others shouted goodbyes.

"Don't forget your sarsaparilla!" Pinkie Pie cried, as the train left. She shrugged. "What? It gives you sass!" The others laughed.

* * *

A week later, everyone was setting up for Applejack's return party. Pinkie Pie was the planner, and was hopping around with exuberance. There were cakes, decorations, streamers, party hats, and punch. Zack, Jim, and the other girls waited excitedly for Applejack, and all her blue ribbons Apple Bloom had been gushing about.

"GUYS! GUYS SHE'S COMING!" Pinkie Pie screamed suddenly. The party guests rushed around, until they were all hidden. The door opened, and everyone held their breath.

"Wow!" a voice called. "How did you know it was my birthday?" It belonged to the mail pony, who was holding up a letter. Everyone groaned. Twilight Sparkle stormed forward, and took the pony's letter away, then locked him out. He sighed unhappily, until Pinkie Pie dropped him a slice of cake.

"Who's it from? Who's it from?" Apple Bloom asked brightly, as Twilight opened the letter.

"It's from Applejack," she answered. "It says: Friends and family, not coming back to Ponyville."

Everyone gasped in horror.

"Don't worry, will send money soon." Twilight finished the letter, with apprehension. "That's all there is."

"Applejack's… not comin' back?" Apple Bloom asked, sorrowfully.

"But she loves Ponyville!" Rainbow Dash commented.

"She loves her friends!" Pinkie Pie agreed.

"And her family!" Apple Bloom added.

"There must be some horrible reason why Applejack wishes to not return." Rarity said, with a gasp.

"Well, we need to find out, then!" Zack declared. "AJ is like my older sister. I'm not letting her leave like this."

"Zack is right," Twilight agreed. She faced her friends. "Everyone, we have a mission ahead. Follow me to the train station."

* * *

The group caught the train to Canterlot, after promising Applejack's family to find their missing member. Once they arrived at the city, they headed over to the rodeo, to investigate Applejack's disappearance.

"Guys," Zack said, piping up. "I can… I can smell out Applejack. She was here, but she isn't here anymore."

"Yeah," Jim agreed. "I can smell her too. She's gone East somewhere."

"She's gone east alright!" a stranger agreed. He pointed to the desert. "Out that way. Straight to Dodge Junction."

"Then let's go to Dodge Junction." Twilight Sparkle said.

* * *

The train arrived at Dodge Junction. The group climbed off, and sucked in the dry, desert air. People were walking around, surrounding the Western-style buildings.

"Alright everyone," Twilight spoke up. "Zack, can you smell her out?"

"Yep," Zack replied, sniffing the air. "This way." The girls and Jim followed him towards the bathroom.

"Oh, thank Celestia!" Pinkie Pie cried. "I'm busting!" She raced forward and furiously pounded on the door. "Hurry up in there!"

"Sheesh, some people are really impatient," Applejack muttered as she exited the toilet, while Pinkie Pie ran in. The farm girl stopped dead when she saw all her friends.

"Applejack!" Pinkie Pie squealed in the toilet.

"Applejack, goodness!" Rarity cried, hugging the orange girl. "You are alright!"

"Um… yeah, I'm fine." Applejack said, gently pushing Rarity away.

"So, what's the deal with not coming back?" Rainbow Dash growled.

"Yeah," Jim agreed. "I mean… don't you live in Ponyville?"

Applejack shivered. Zack raised his brow at her, and was about to say something, when a voice interrupted him.

"Applejack, are these your friends?" it belonged to a woman with cherry red hair, and twinkly blue eyes. She came out of a house, and smiled at Applejack and her friends.

"Hello, ma'am," Twilight greeted her. "What's your name? And… uh, does Applejack work for you?"

"I'm Cherry Jubilee," the woman answered. "And yes, Applejack does work for me! She did mighty fine in that rodeo. I've never seen someone win so many medals in all my life!"

"Aw, shucks, Ms. Jubilee," Applejack blushed. "No need to go there."

"Anyway, I picked her up and offered her a job at my cherry-picking farm!" Cherry Jubilee explained. "And here she is!" She ruffled Applejack's hair. "Now, I'll give you some time to catch up with your friends. See you later!" Then she left, leaving behind an uncomfortable Applejack.

"You got a job here?" Rainbow Dash demanded. "Why? You could've just come back to Ponyville!"

"I work here now, Dash," Applejack grumbled. "Nothin' more, nothin' less. And I'm not comin' back to Ponyville."

Zack sighed. "Applejack, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Applejack pouted. "Fine." The two left the group, and stood behind a shed.

"Applejack… I know our relationship has been rough at some points," Zack took in a deep breath. "But… you've always been like an older sister to me. And I'm asking you, please, come back to Ponyville. We need you."

"Sorry, Zack," Applejack replied. "I'm stayin' here. Nothin' more, nothin' less."

"But why?" Zack asked. "Are you really going to drop your bags here and never return? After you've lived in Ponyville for so long?"

"I don't wanna hear this." Applejack grumbled, looking away.

"Applejack," Zack said, grabbing her shoulder. "Come back. You'll regret this."

"I'm staying here." Applejack said firmly. Zack sighed, as Applejack trotted away.

"Oh AJ," he mumbled. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

* * *

Of course, the friends were not giving up. They followed Applejack into her work regime, and tried to get some answers out of her. However, the farm pony was as stubborn as ever. She wouldn't answer a single question, or didn't give proper answers. Eventually, the work turned into disaster, when the girls spilled cherries everywhere. Applejack stormed off in anger, leaving her friends behind to clean the mess. Zack, Jim and Pinkie stuck behind to gobble up the mess, while the others watched in awe.

Though Zack was disappointed and suspicious with Applejack. Why was she acting this way? Why wasn't she telling the truth? Jim agreed with Zack, and they decided they needed more info from the girl. Luckily, the girls had an idea.

* * *

Zack and Jim turned invisible as they followed Pinkie Pie to the cherry farms, where Applejack was at. Pinkie Pie greeted Applejack, and asked if she could work with her. Applejack agreed, but only if Pinkie Pie didn't ask any questions.

"Okay," Pinkie Pie said. She shook a cherry tree; cherries rained down. "Have you ever tried a cherrychanga? Oops, that was a question!"

"That kind of question is fine, Pinkie," Applejack said. Her tone softened slightly. "No… I've never tried a cherrychanga."

"Sounds… interesting." Zack whispered to Jim. "I'd love to try it."

Pinkie Pie giggled, "Oh, really! It's like a big cherry wrapped in deep fried dough then cooked to perfection! Hey, cherrychanga is a funny word, right? Cherrychanga, cherrychanga, cherrychanga…" Her talking grew faster and faster, until only Zack could understand what she was saying. Meanwhile, Applejack passed out on the floor, begging for her to stop.

"Make it stop!" she cried. "Make it stop!"

"We'll make it stop!" Rainbow Dash said, coming out from behind a tree, and covering Pinkie Pie's mouth. "When you tell us the truth!"

"Never!" Applejack shouted. Rainbow Dash let Pinkie Pie continue talking, which caused Applejack. "Okay, fine, I'll tell y'all! Tomorrow morning!"

Pinkie Pie stopped. "Do you Pinkie Promise?"

Applejack nodded. "Yeah. I Pinkie Promise."

* * *

"SHE BROKE HER PROMISE!" Pinkie Pie screamed the following morning, as the friends entered Applejack's bedroom. "NOPONY BREAKS A PINKIE PROMISE!" She raced out, her head on fire. The others raced after her.

"Guys, I can smell her!" Zack cried. "She's at the train station!" They ran towards the train station, and sure enough, Applejack was waiting there.

"APPLEJACK!" Pinkie Pie bellowed. "YOU PINKIE PROMISED!"

"Dah!" Applejack cried. She leaped onto a chariot, which was being pulled by four stallions. "Giddy up, y'all! I gotta get the heck outta Dodge!" The stallions neighed and Applejack took off.

"SHE'S GETTING AWAY!" Pinkie Pie cried.

"No she's not!" Zack shouted. "Come on, Jim. Let's keep up!" The two boys used their super speed to keep up with Applejack, while the girls rode on their own chariot behind them. Applejack panicked and made the stallions go faster.

"Stop!" Jim cried, as he and Zack climbed onto Applejack's chariot.

"Never!" Applejack shouted, leaning away from them. The chariot shook, thanks to the other girls bumping it. Applejack sweat-beaded, and hit it back.

"Pull over!" Rainbow Dash commanded.

"Never!" Applejack repeated. Pinkie Pie joined Zack and Jim on the chariot.

"You _Pinkie Promised!_ " she screamed.

"Pinkie," Zack lowered his voice and whispered to her. "Jim and I will deal with this. But I Pinkie Promise that I'll bring Applejack back, okay?"

"Okay, Zacky Bear!" Pinkie Pie cried. She jumped backwards. "Rarity, catch me!"

"What? Pinkie?" Rarity gasped. Pinkie Pie fell on top of her, and they flew off the chariot.

"Go back!" Twilight Sparkle yelled, eyeing them.

"No time!" Rainbow Dash replied. "We've gotta stop AJ!"

"I'll handle this," Zack said. He turned to Applejack, who was leering away from he and Jim. "Applejack-"

"No, Zack." Applejack growled. The girls bumped into the chariot again. "I'm not listening!"

"AJ… I don't know you very well, but you've got to-" Jim was interrupted by a yell from the stallions.

"Train ahead!" he cried.

" _GO_!" Applejack shouted. The stallions grimaced at each other, but charged. They, somehow, managed to avoid the train. Applejack pumped a fist, while the other girls were caught behind the train.

"Applejack!" Zack cried. Applejack groaned in annoyance and grabbed her saddlebag. She leaped off the chariot, and pounded across the dirt. Zack teleported in front of herl; she got a fright and tripped over. Her saddlebag opened, and the contents flew out.

"Whoa, AJ!" Rainbow Dash cried, as she and Fluttershy flew over, carrying the chariot. Twilight Sparkle followed them over to Zack and Jim, as they surrounded Applejack. Multi-coloured ribbons were all around her.

"Fine," the country girl sighed. "Now you know."

"Know what?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "You won an amazing number of ribbons, just like Ms. Jubilee said!"

"Yeah, I won every colour. I won every colour… but blue," Applejack slumped down. "I came in fourth, third, even second… but I didn't come in first place. And I certainly didn't win any prize money. I couldn't come back like that, not with that big send off Ponyville gave me."

"Then… what were you saying about the prize money?" Jim asked. "Didn't you say you were going to send it?"

"That's why I came here," Applejack answered. "I was going to earn my money."

"AJ," Zack said, patting her shoulder. "We don't care what place you come in. You'll always been number one in our books. You shouldn't run away from your friends."

"I know…" Applejack sighed. "You were right. Guess I couldn't face the truth."

"Yeah," Fluttershy said, hugging Applejack. "If you didn't back, we would never be able to fix the hole in our hearts." Everyone hugged Applejack, except Rainbow Dash. The blue girl sniffled.

"Aw come on!" she groaned. "Now you got me acting all sappy!"

"Thanks, guys," Applejack said. "Now, I wanna go home."

* * *

"Hey, Rarity," Pinkie Pie said, as she and Rarity used a push cart to ride home. "Have I ever told you about cherrychangas?"

"You're going to get it, Rainbow Dash." Rarity groaned. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Zack!"

"Hey guys," Zack greeted, flying over them. "Need some help getting home?"

Rarity sighed in relief. "Oh, yes please!" Zack grinned and snapped his fingers. The girls' clothes and hair returned to their normal state, much to the joy of Rarity.

"Oh, and Pinkie!" Zack cried. He sat on their push cart. "I made a deep-fried oreo funnel cake. Wanna try it?" Pinkie Pie nodded eagerly. Zack handed it to her, and she wolfed it down.

"So good!" she cried. Rarity sighed.

"Please, just take us home."


	29. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000

Zack gaped at the huge line at Sweet Apple Acres.

"This whole cider thing seems like a pretty big deal," Jim admired, his brow raised. "Twilight was right about coming here early!"

"Well, we don't really know until we taste the cider," Zack pointed out. "Well, it's apple-family cider. It'll be good." Jim nodded in agreement. Soon, the two arrived at the cider stall.

"Howdy Zack and Jim!" Apple Bloom greeted. "Cider's two bits a cup!" Zack paid her the money; she handed the boys two cups of cider. They drank it down; their faces split into pure joy.

"So good," Zack said, after gulping down his cider. "Really good." Jim nodded vigorously in agreement. Suddenly, the two heard a bunch of angry cries towards the apple family. Zack and Jim glanced at each other, and stared at the scene occurring.

"Everypony, please!" Applejack pleaded. "We worked as hard as we could this year!"

"You say that every year!" an angry person protested.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed, with rage. "Why can't you make enough cider for everyone?" There were more angry cries. Suddenly, a sound of a large engine interrupted the cries. The group looked around in confusion, when they spotted a strange-looking machine rumbling across the dirt path. It was coloured red, and steam puffed out of long tubes. Two fancily-dressed men were driving the machine, looking very pleased indeed. Granny Smith frowned as they parked next to a white fence.

"Oh dear!" one of the men cried. "What's this? All of cider?"

"No more cider!" the other exclaimed. "Oh, Ponyville! Whatever shall you do?"

"Luckily we have just the solution!" the first man cried. "Ready, Flam?"

"You bet, Flim!" the second man replied.

Flim grinned. "We have cider of our own, using the Super Cider Squeezy 6000!" Music began playing in the background, and Flim turned to Applejack. "Young filly, you don't mind if we borrow a tree for this little demonstration?"

"Uh… sure, I guess." Applejack answered. Flim nodded at Flam; the man pulled a lever on the machine. It sucked up an apple tree, and the machine began to work. It turned to apple tree into fresh, delicious cider; the audience gasped in awe.

"As you can see, the Super Cider Squeezy 6000 works magnificently fast!" Film said brightly. "It makes cider in ten seconds flat, and it's totally pure!"

"How can you be sure?" Granny Smith asked incredulously. "This here technology-"

"Oh, Granny Smith!" Flim cried. "Try a glass!" He passed her a cup of cider; she tasted it with secret satisfaction.

"I love it!" Apple Bloom said, smiling.

"Absolutely!" Flim replied. "There'll be enough cider for everypony!" The town let out a loud cheer. Zack raised his brow. He wasn't sure about these two brothers. Jim had the same opinion.

"Count me in!" Rainbow Dash shouted, as the Flim Flam brothers made barrels of cider in a short amount of time.

"This is amazin'!" Apple Bloom cried. "Count us in, too!"

"Not yet, Apple Bloom," Applejack said gruffly, holding her sister back. "They're a threat to family the business."

"Now now," Flim chuckled, as he and his brother came to greet them. "We've got a little offer for you."

Flam grinned. "You supply the apples, and we supply the cider."

"We split the profits," Flim continued. "Seventy five, twenty five. The seventy five is for us, by the way." The apples glanced at each other apprehensively, and huddled for a group discussion. Zack and Jim watched on the side.

"I don't know about these two," Zack confessed. "They're taking the Apples' business."

"But Ponyville is agreeing with it," Jim added. "The Apples would understand, wouldn't they?"

"I don't know," Zack replied. "But I don't want the Apples gone."

"Me too," Jim agreed. "I don't think the readers want them gone either."

"True," Zack said. His eyes widened. "Hey, what's happening?"

"Well!" Flim laughed at the Apples. "If you don't want to be partners, it looks like we'll have to be competitors."

"Well, we'll smash you in a competition!" Apple Bloom yelled. "And-"

"Apple Bloom, shush!" Applejack hushed her sister.

"No no, the young'n's right!" Granny Smith spoke up. "We could easily beat y'all in a competition!"

"Is that so?" Flam asked. "A competition?"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom shouted. "A competition! Winner becomes Ponyville's cider provider! Loser leaves town!"

The crowd gasped in shock.

"Well well well," Flim spoke up. "I believe that sounds good. What do you say, brother?"

"Magnificent!" Flam agreed brightly. "So, when will hold this competition?"

"T'morrow!" Granny Smith cried. "Be there or be square! Now be off with you!"

"Very well," Flim said. "Let us go, brother." He and his brother climbed onto their machine, and drove off.

"Applejack…" Zack began. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I don't know, Zack," Applejack stuttered. "I really don't know."

* * *

The next day, the Apples and the Flim Flam brothers met in front of the farm. The town of Ponyville had gathered to watch the battle, including Zack and Jim. While Applejack was training for the big event, Zack spoke to her.

"We'll be able to do it, Zack," Applejack insisted. "We have to do it."

"I trust you, AJ," Zack replied. "The others and I will be around if you need us, okay?" Applejack nodded, and Zack walked away. The Apple family finished their training, as the mayor arrived with a timer.

"Here are the rules," the mayor instructed. "You have one hour to make as much cider as you can. Whoever makes the most cider wins. Good luck!" She turned the timer on. "Your time starts now!" The Apple family bucked trees, checked the apples, and turned them into cider, working hard. The Flim Flam brothers laid back, and let their magic do the cider-creating work.

"The Flim Flam brothers are making three barrels to the Apples' one," Twilight Sparkle said nervously. "At this rate, the Apples will never win!"

"I can't believe I was rooting for those losers," Rainbow Dash scoffed. "No way they're gonna win! We've gotta do something!"

"We have to help Applejack," Zack said.

"Zack's right," Twilight Sparkle replied. She turned to the mayor. "Mayor, are honorary family members allowed to compete?"

"Um…" the mayor checked her watch. "Well, I don't know. What do you think, Flim and Flam?"

"Go for it!" Flim lazily answered.

"We don't care if the whole kingdom of Canterlot helps!" Flam added. "We'll win anyway."

"Alright… then," the mayor said uncomfortably. She faced Applejack. "What about you, Applejack?"

Applejack kicked a tree, appearing exhausted. "I think I'd love the rest of my… _family_ to help." The mayor nodded at the girls and boys. Twilight Sparkle grinned, and walked around them.

"Alright, my friends," she instructed. "Fluttershy, help AJ knock apples out of three. Pinkie Pie, you're on catching duty. Rarity, you can help Granny Smith at the purity-control station. Rainbow Dash, you can kick tail. Do some running with Big Mac. Zack and Jim, help out in whatever way you can."

"Got it!" everyone cried.

"You bet it!" Twilight replied. "Let's save Sweet Apple Acres!"

Zack and Jim flew over the event, as the girls worked. Zack helped Fluttershy and Applejack knock apples out of trees, and Pinkie Pie and Apple Bloom catch them. Jim helped Rarity and Granny Smith, and crushed apples with Rainbow Dash and Big Mac. Soon, they were way ahead of the Flim Flam brothers.

"Good job everyone!" Twilight Sparkle cried. "We're making five barrels to the Flim Flam brothers' three!" A cheer sounded from the town of Ponyville. Out of the corner of his eye, Zack saw the Flim Flam brothers panicking. One of them pressed a button, and entire apple trees were sucked into their device. Zack raised his eyebrow.

"Uh, guys," he said. "The Flim Flam brothers are catching up!"

"Uh oh," Twilight Sparkle said nervously. "Keep going, everypony! Don't worry about the brothers!" The friends nodded and continued making cider, though the Flim Flam brothers were catching up. In the end, the brothers won, but only by a few. Everyone was sad to see the Apples go.

"I'm sorry, AJ," Zack said sadly, patting his friend's shoulder. "You did well, okay?"

"I have to go." Applejack sighed, turning away. The rest of the town sniffled, as Applejack and her family packed up.

"Now now," Film said. "We've still gots lots of cider for you! Come and drink, Ponyville!" He and his brother stood behind a stall cider in front of the town. Rocks, dirt and branches were in the drink, looking quite unappetising. This fact was proven when the residents of Ponyville drank the cider; they spat it out in disgust.

"Yeah," Jim said, shaking his head. "Readers, the cider is not good."

"Now come on Ponyville!" Flam began. "We'll charge you less!"

"NO!" Ponyville shouted. More protests erupted from everywhere, and the brothers stared hopelessly at each other.

"Er… it seems we aren't doing so well in Ponyville!" Flim said apprehensively.

"Perhaps we should… er, go!" Flam agreed. Then, the brothers rushed out, before Ponyville started throwing things at them. Applejack's eyes widened in relief, as she realized they were gone.

"They're gone!" she cried. Her friends smiled and hugged her, and Ponyville awed.

"Good news!" Apple Bloom announced. "Because of this silly competition, we have enough cider for everypony!" More cheers erupted from the town. Zack couldn't help but grin. He was so worried about his dear friend getting kicked out, and relief flooded him now that she was back. Sweet relief. Especially since those arrogant Flim Flam brothers were finally gone. Sweet relief.


	30. Read It and Weep

The Goblin King slouched in his jail. He had lost count of the time he had been in there. He had lost count of the time he had lost everything to that… that dragon boy. He wanted revenge, but how was he going to get it? The hope in him was too little to make a difference. Then, he saw Konton approaching him. He mistook the half-dragon for Zack.

"Boy…" the goblin king grumbled, glaring at the "Phantom Dragon". "Come to mock me, eh?"

"Mistaking me for Zack, are you?" the person replied. He cackled. "Don't fret. I get that a lot. I'm Konton, his half-brother."

The Goblin King raised his eyebrows. "That lizard boy has a brother?"

Konton nodded. "Yes. And he's going to free you and improve you..."

* * *

"Whoo!" the girls, Zack and Jim watched Rainbow Dash fly around in the sky.

"You can do this, Dash!" Zack cheered, twisting around his neck like Pinkie Pie. Twilight Sparkle and Rarity looked away in discomfort.

"Uh… guys!" Jim piped up. Rainbow Dash was suddenly flying out of control, zooming all around the sky.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Pinkie Pie squealed.

"Ay yi yi yi yi!" Rarity exclaimed. Rainbow Dash crash-landed in the ground.

"Ouch…" Twilight Sparkle observed.

"Ah crap!" Zack gasped.

"That ain't good." Jim agreed, shaking his head.

* * *

The friends surrounded their blue friend, as she lay in a hospital bed.

"Ugh… what happened?" Rainbow Dash asked, blinking furiously.

"You broke your wing," the doctor answered, holding up an x-ray. "You'll have to stay in bed for a few nights."

"Aw, come on!" Rainbow Dash groaned. She faced her friends. "C'mon, guys! You've gotta get me out of here! Zack, use your healing powers!"

"My healing powers are only for emergencies," Zack replied. "I mean serious emergencies. You'll only be in here for a few days."

"Ugh!" Rainbow Dash grumbled, leaning back on the bed.

"You'll need to do something entertaining." Twilight Sparkle said. Her eyes picked up on a nurse wheeling a trolley full of books. Twilight Sparkle raced over to the trolley and grabbed a book, bringing it to Rainbow Dash.

"Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone." Rainbow Dash read with mundanity.

"It's the first book in the series," Twilight Sparkle said gleefully. "I own all of them."

"Ugh, really?" Rainbow Dash groaned. "You're such an egg-head, Twi. Athletes like me so don't read. Right, guys?" Her friends laughed as a response.

"Now, who doesn't love a good tale from time to time?" Applejack asked.

"Why, a good book is almost as glorious as silk pajamas on a Sunday morning!" Rarity agreed.

"Yeah, Dash," Zack added. "Even Jim and I love a good book, don't we, Jim?" Jim nodded eagerly.

"Whatever!" Rainbow Dash scoffed. She placed the book on her bedside table.

"Alright, everyone!" a nurse said brightly at the door. "Visiting time is over! You can come and see Rainbow Dash tomorrow!"

"See ya, Dash!" Zack said, as he and the others exited the hospital. Rainbow Dash muttered a curse word and face-planted in her pillow.

* * *

The next day, Zack and Jim came to visit their hospitalized friend. Zack noticed her with the novel in her hands. As soon as she saw them, she slipped it away.

"Uh, hey, guys!" Rainbow Dash greeted. "I'm… er, kind of tired right now-"

"Were you reading that book?" Zack asked, with a smirk.

"What?" Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously. "O-of course not! I-I don't read books! Come on, guys!"

"Really?" Zack asked. He peered into her imagination, and saw the Indiana-Jones like character known as Daring Do explore a temple. Daring Do looked just like the character on the novel's cover, and Rainbow Dash was dead busted. He showed Rainbow Dash what you saw.

The blue girl sighed. "Fine, I'm busted. I was reading the book."

"What's so wrong with reading?" Jim asked. "You didn't need to hide it."

"Well…" Rainbow Dash looked away. "You saw how I acted to reading. I couldn't do it in front of my friends with my rep…"

"Oh, Dash, you know us!" Zack chuckled, patting her head. "We'd forgive you. There's no need for any drama."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash asked. She blushed. "You guys are the best."

"Glad you understand," Zack said. He looked at her book. "It looks pretty good. What's happening so far?"

"Not telling!" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "C'mon guys, you have to read the book!" She sighed. "Well, I guess I can tell you a little. A brave pegasus named Daring Do goes on an adventure…"

* * *

"Attention, villains of all kind!" Konton boomed, flying in mid-air, over a crowd of monsters. He clutched a 'WANTED' poster in his hand. "I demand the retrieval of my half-brother, the Phantom Dragon!"

A cheer arose from the audience.

"Whoever finds him will be rewarded greatly!" Konton continued. "Such as a special reward or wish!"

Another cheer.

"Do you want him dead or alive?" someone in the crowd asked.

"I was just getting to that, my friend," Konton said, gleaming at the crowd. "No, I don't want him dead. However, I do want him fatally injured. Fatally injured. Not dead, but I don't want just a paper cut on him. Is that clear?"

The audience cheered again.

"That's right," Konton grinned at the posters. "I'll be spreading these posters around Equestria, so none of you forget. Now, go! The reward is for his retrieval!"

The creatures roared and raced out of the cavern, leaving behind a smiling Konton.

"Ah, brother," he said. "Let's see how strong you really are."


	31. Hearts and Hooves Day

"Hey, it's Hearts and Hooves Day," Twilight Sparkle greeted Zack. "Today is when you do something… with your special somepony."

"Like… Valentine's Day?" Zack asked.

"What's Valentine's Day?" Twilight Sparkle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't worry about it," Zack replied. He blushed. "Because it's Hearts and Hooves Day… do you want to… uh…"

"Go on a date?" Twilight Sparkle asked. She was blushing too. "I'd… I'd love to, Zack. That'd be nice."

Zack nodded. "We'll go to your favourite restaurant, then."

"I'm not even wearing anything fit for a date!" Twilight Sparkle cried. "Oh my Celestia… I'm not prepared at all! I don't have a gift, either!"

"It's okay, Twilight," Zack said reassuringly. "I'm not that prepared either. Besides, it's not about that. It's about enjoying ourselves."

"You're right, Zack," Twilight Sparkle replied. "You're absolutely right."

Twilight Sparkle and Zack made their way over to the restaurant. Like them, other couples were going out, and enjoying themselves. The two smiled at the happy couples.

"Now, Zack," Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "There's some books about Hearts and Hooves Day I have to show you." She pulled out a section of books. She showed Zack books about the history of Hearts and Hooves Day: a story about a love potion.

"Huh, this is an interesting day," Zack commented. "Way more interesting than Valentine's Day." Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Whoa, watch out!" He held his arm out; Twilight Sparkle dropped her book in surprise. Coming towards them were the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who looked excited about something.

"Oh, sorry about that," Apple Bloom apologized. Zack and Twilight Sparkle helped them up. "We were mighty excited."

"Hey!" Scootaloo cried. "What's this book here?" She held up the book.

"Oh!" Twilight Sparkle laughed. "That's a book about the history of Hearts and Hooves Day. Did you know the day started from a love potion?"

"A love potion?" Sweetie Belle asked. She looked at her friends. "Hey, uh," she approached Twilight Sparkle. "You don't mind if we… borrow that book for a while, do you?"

"Of course!" Twilight Sparkle said, handing them the book.

"What are you three going to do with it?" Zack asked, raising his brow.

"Oh, nothing much," Scootaloo said. "Just interested in the history." Then she and her friends raced off.

"Where'd they go?" Twilight Sparkle asked. "I wanted to show them another book!"

"It's okay, Twilight," Zack said reassuringly. "We've still got our date!"

"Oh yeah!" Twilight Sparkle said, grabbing Zack's hand. They seated themselves at the restaurant, and ordered their food. They smiled at each other, taking in the pleasant mood.

"Thanks for coming on this date with me, Twi," Zack said. "It sure is a nice day."

"It's fine," Twilight Sparkle replied. "It's Hearts and Hooves Day, after all." She blushed and looked away. "I… got you a gift when I said I had to do something before. Remember?"

"Yeah," Zack said. He looked away. "You didn't have to, Twi."

"Oh yes I did!" Twilight Sparkle said. "Close your eyes!" Zack sighed and did such thing. He felt a wrapped gift enter his hands. "Alright, you can open them now!" Zack examined the gift. He removed the wrapping paper, and found a book.

"The History of Magic?" he read.

"A book," Twilight Sparkle said, looking away. "Just for you!"

"It's awesome!" Zack said, grinning at the book. "I'm gonna love reading this. Thanks, Twi!"

"You're very welcome." Twilight Sparkle said, smiling.

"Hey, I got you a gift, too," Zack said. He leaned forward and kissed Twilight Sparkle on the cheek. She blushed. "Call me cliché… but I got you chocolates!" He handed her a heart-shaped box of chocolates.

"Oh, Zack…" Twilight Sparkle said dreamily. She wrapped her arms around Zack's neck. "I always was interested in the educational part of Hearts and Hooves Day. Now… you've taught me the real purpose of the holiday."

"SNUGGLE BUNCHES!" a loud voice cried near them. It belonged to Big Mac, who was running along.

"Is that Big Mac…" Twilight asked.

"... with a diamond ring?" Zack asked, raising his brow. He looked at Twilight Sparkle.

"Heh, some strange things sure do happen on this day," Twilight Sparkle sighed. "I wonder what's got him so excited. Oh well. Festivities can get to your head."

"Get back here!" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were chasing after Big Mac.

"Looks like he's not the only one," Zack said, shaking his head. "I knew they were up to something. Oh well."

* * *

The next day started reasonably normally. That was until the crystal golems arrived. There were three of them, and they were quite big. Their leader was a monster named Olalander, who was a a crystal giant. He was leading the three into Ponyville, to destroy and take. And to find Zack, dead or alive.

They started their path of destruction in central Ponyville. They crushed random buildings, and hurt the residents. People ran around, screaming for their life.

"I don't think so!" Rainbow Dash yelled, in her pony form. She charged towards the golems, only to be hit back by a wave of power. She landed in someone's cake stall.

"Where is the Phantom Dragon?" Olalander boomed, his team searching for Zack. They also stole valuables and food. People grew more and more scared, as the golems continued their savagery.

"Zack!" Twilight Sparkle cried, following the Phantom Dragon. "What are we going to do?"

"Stop them, of course!" Zack replied, glowing. He approached the golems.

"The Phantom Dragon!" Olalander roared. "Catch him!" Zack teleported away from the two minions.

"Leave this town!" he shouted, shooting power balls at the golems. They deflected them with shields.

"Not until we have you!" Olalander retorted. "Dead or alive!" The golems chased after Zack, shooting crystal bolts. Zack deflected them with his shield, and protected some fallen civilians of Ponyville.

"Dead or alive?" Zack questioned. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see!" Olalander said. "When you're captured!" His golems went after Zack, blasting their crystals. They covered the town in the shiny martial, making it hard to move. An attack landed on Zack, and sent him head-first into the crystal matter. The golems jumped on top of him.

An injured Zack scrambled out of their way, feeling pain in his wings. He healed himself with his magic, and glared at the golems. There was stolen loot around them, and Ponyville was a crystal mess. Zack hated it with a burning passion. This gave him strength. Strength to protect.

Zack flew into the air, feeling power building within him. He raised his glowing fists, and brought the energy, strength and power onto the golems. The power was strong enough to destroy the first two golems. Olalander snarled.

"You won't destroy me that easily!" he boomed. He shot a massive crystal blast at Zack, that could've wiped out half of Canterlot. The dragon boy avoided it.

"And you won't catch me the easily!" Zack retorted. He blasted his own bolt of power, created using all the emotional strength he could find. The power blasted the golem far away, where it couldn't reach Zack. Such dragon-boy floated down to the ground, and took a few deep breaths. He'd done it. He'd saved Ponyville. But now he needed to know why Olalander and his golems wanted to capture him. Was there another villain? Whatever it was, Zack was going to stop it.


	32. A Friend In Deed

"It's nice to see you again, Zack," Mayla said, smiling at the Phantom Dragon. She looked away. "Hey… I have something to ask you." She blushed. "Maybe… you would, er, like to go on a…"

"...a date?" Zack asked. He laughed. "I think that would be nice." He grinned back at her. Then, someone knocked on his door. Zack answered the door. Pinkie Pie was standing there, twitching excitedly.

"Zacky Zacky Zacky!" she cried. "You have to meet my new friend!"

"Who?" Zack asked, raising his brow. Mayla joined him at the door.

"Come and see!" Pinkie Pie shouted. She nodded at Mayla. "Hello, Mayla! You can come and meet my new friend too!"

"Pleasure's mine." Mayla said, nodding. Pinkie Pie led the two to Ponyville central. A donkey with a wig was pulling a cart full of possessions.

"Heya Doodle!" Pinkie Pie cried, running up next to the donkey.

"Don't call me that!" the donkey snapped. Pinkie Pie ignored him.

"These are my friends, Mayla and Zack!" she introduced the two. "They're here to welcome you into Ponyville!"

"Hello," Zack introduced himself to the donkey. "Welcome to Ponyville. What's your name?"

"Cranky Doodle Donkey." the donkey answered grumpily. Mayla shook his hoof.

"Isn't that great? You guys are getting on already!" Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.

"Mmph." Cranky Doodle Donkey snorted. He walked off.

"Wait, Cranky!" Pinkie Pie cried. "You haven't told us anything about yourself!"

"There's nothing you need to know aside from I'm moving to Ponyville alone with my memories." Crank grumbled, his head bent low.

"Memories?" Zack asked, tilting his head. Pinkie Pie leaped into Cranky's wagon and began searching through it.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "So many things in here!" She found a scrap book. "Look at this!"

"Don't touch that!" Cranky snapped. Pinkie Pie slipped off of the wagon.

"I can see how you got your name, Cranky." Mayla muttered. Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was preparing something special for Cranky. It was a wagon of her own. It was pink, and had many pipes and places for amusement.

"Come on guys!" Pinkie Pie said, smiling at Zack and Mayla. "Let's sing a welcome song!" So the trio performed a welcome song for Cranky. They ended up getting covered in cake batter. Confetti blew away Cranky's toupee, leaving him bald.

"Oh goodness…" Mayla gasped. She saw Pinkie Pie destroying Cranky's escaped toupee, mistaking it for a spider. "Pinkie, wait!"

"My toupee!" Cranky exclaimed.

"Oh… oops." Pinkie Pie said, holding up the toupee. Cranky growled and stormed off.

"Whoa, hold on there!" Zack held up his hand. "I can make it grow back." He snapped his fingers. Black hair grew over Cranky's bald scalp. The donkey didn't smile, but his glare toned down.

"Thanks." he said gruffly. He walked off.

"Ooh! Cranky! Wait!" Pinkie Pie cried, bounding after the donkey. He snapped at her and stormed off. Zack gritted his teeth. This whole time, Cranky had been ignoring and snapping at Pinkie Pie, who was only trying to make friends. He and Mayla included. He wanted to welcome Cranky Doodle just as much as Pinkie Pie, but he also wanted him to be respectful. He turned to Mayla and asked about the memories.

"I don't know," Mayla replied. "That scrap book looks suspicious." When Cranky wasn't looking, she grabbed the scrap book. "Look at all these things in here. It looks like he's been looking for someone."

"But who?" Zack asked, raising his brow.

"I'm not sure. I don't know too many people here." Mayla said. She faced Pinkie Pie, who was trying to make Cranky smile.

"Pinkie Pie!" Zack gasped. "She knows everyone here. She'll have an idea!" He called Pinkie Pie over and showed her the scrap book.

"I know somepony who has a book like this!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"I told you not to touch that!" Cranky Doodle snapped. Zack chewed his lip. He teleported in front of Cranky with a frown.

"Cranky…" he said calmly. "I can see you like your space, and that's okay. People will respect that. But… you can't be rude to others who are trying to help you." His hand burst into flames as a warning. Cranky gulped. "Especially my friends." The flames died down. "But… I want to help you, Cranky. So do my friends. We know you're looking for someone."

Mayla continued, "Yeah, Pinkie's looking for this someone right now!"

"She is…?" Cranky asked. He looked away. "She'll have no luck. I've been looking for my friend my whole life… I searched all of Equestria. But… she was nowhere to be seen. So… I retired from my search and came here."

"But… the truth is, I was here all along." a female voice said. It belonged to a female donkey, who was standing next to Pinkie Pie.

"Matilda!" Cranky exclaimed. "I… I…" He turned to Pinkie Pie. "How?"

"You had a matching scrap book!" Pinkie Pie answered, winking. She put her arms around Zack and Mayla. "Now you're back together again! Yay!"

Matilda and Cranky smiled at each other. Zack and Mayla smiled at each other too. Pinkie Pie smiled at everyone.

"Come on and smile!" she cried.


	33. Putting Your Hoof Down

"Your cottage is so pretty, Fluttershy," Zack admired. "But it's not as pretty as you."

"Aw, Zack…" Fluttershy said, blushing. The two were inside Fluttershy's neat cottage. Various animals such as bears, bunnies, and badgers surrounded them. One bunny on the ground was stomping his foot impatiently. Fluttershy stared at him. "Oh, Angel!" she exclaimed. "It's time for food, of course!" She offered him some vegetables, his favourite. Angel refused them and pointed to a cook book. "Something in there…?" Fluttershy asked. Angel showed her a recipe. "I can't-" He shoved it in her face. "Uh…"

"Will you stop that?" Zack asked, taking the book away from Angel. "She's not a chef."

"No, it's okay, Zack," Fluttershy insisted. "I can do it. The market's on today. I can buy the ingredients."

"Alright then…" Zack said, glaring at Angel. "Let's go to the market."

* * *

The two soon arrived at the market. Fluttershy held out a shopping list.

"The first thing is asparagus," she said. "This way!" She walked towards a stall and got in the line. She was behind a man. When he left, she reached forward to grab an asparagus. However, a lady pushed in front of her.

"Uh, excuse me…" Fluttershy said quietly, but the lady was walking away. Zack made a banana peel appear under the lady's feet; she tripped. Giggles sounded from the market. The lady scoffed and stormed off. Fluttershy blinked gratefully at Zack and returned to the cue. Another man cut in front of her, then two teenangers appeared.

"Hey!" Fluttershy said quietly.

"Would you mind moving back? You're in my personal space." one teenanger scoffed.

"Seriously? Do you need that asparagus so badly? Get a life." the second one added. Fluttershy trotted backwards. Zack appeared in front of the teenangers and roared at them, scaring them. They ran off.

"Jerks," Zack mumbled. "Here, Fluttershy. The asparagus is here." He bought some asparagus for his girlfriend.

"Thanks, Zack." Fluttershy said, taking the asparagus.

"No problem." Zack replied, grinning. "What's..." He noticed a wanted poster on a pole. "What the?" He stormed towards it. "A poster… a wanted poster…" He took it off. "For me." He gritted his teeth. "I thought it was over…" He saw Fluttershy losing an argument with someone selling cherries. I'll deal with this later, he thought. Right now, Fluttershy needs help.

* * *

After getting all the ingredients, Fluttershy and Zack returned to Fluttershy's cottage. Angel wasn't satisfied with the recipe because Fluttershy had bought the wrong kind of cherry. Zack snapped.

"Are you serious?!" he spat. "She owns this house! If you're going to act like a spoiled child, then I'll treat you like one! Go to the corner, mister!" Angel groaned and stormed off to the corner. Zack sighed and faced Fluttershy. "You should learn to be more assertive," he said. "Then you can stick up for yourself. I heard there's assertiveness training from someone named Iron Will."

"Maybe…" Fluttershy replied. Suddenly, a scroll appeared in front of Zack. He read over it; his eyes widened.

"It's from Princess Celestia!" he cried. "She says I need to go to Canterlot immediately." He bowed at Fluttershy. "I'll see you later. Remember to stick up for yourself, okay?" He raced out the door.

* * *

"I'm glad you got here quickly," Celestia greeted Zack as he arrived. "I'm afraid I don't have good news." She sighed. "There is a new threat going around. I don't understand it completely, but it has something to do with… wanted posters of you." She held up one. Zack gasped.

"I saw one in Ponyville!" he exclaimed. He frowned. "What's going on here?"

"I'm not sure, truthfully," Celestia replied. "Like I said, I do not understand it completely. But I know there are monsters roaming around, looking for you. They must work for a dark master. You must take care, Zack."

"I will," Zack said, nodding. "And I'll defeat this dark master. They won't be able to stop me."

"Good," Celestia said, smiling. "We'll help you however you can. For now, just keep watch."

* * *

Zack returned to Ponyville, feeling weary. He decided to check on Fluttershy and see if she was feeling any better and if the assertiveness training had helped. He found her near a man watering her petunias. She didn't look happy.

"Excuse me Mr. Greenhooves, but I think you might be over-watering my petunias… again." Fluttershy said quietly.

Mr. Greenhooves laughed. "Let the professionals handle it." Fluttershy was about to walk away, when her eyes lit up. She turned back.

"Treat me like a pushover, and you'll get the once-over." she growled. She stepped on Mr. Greenhooves' hose, stopping the flow. He looked confused. Then Fluttershy released it; the water sprayed all over him.

"Well," Mr. Greenhooves said, coughing up water. "Perhaps that is enough water."

"Thank you." Fluttershy said, walking away. Zack shook his head. That wasn't being assertive. That was just being rude. It wasn't having true backbone. To do that, you had to be kind as well as assertive. But Fluttershy wasn't being that way. Zack sighed. He followed her to Ponyville. Her aggression caused more disruptions along the way. Even Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked concerned. He approached them once Fluttershy had gone home.

"That monster Iron Will got it all wrong!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Fluttershy is a meanie-poop now!"

"We want nice Fluttershy back," Rarity added. "Not this new, nasty Fluttershy."

"Me too," Zack agreed. "Let's go and visit Fluttershy. Perhaps we can talk her out of this nasty behaviour."

* * *

Unfortunately, they could not. Fluttershy ended up insulting all of them. She made Rarity and Pinkie Pie cry.

The insult to Zack felt like a stab in his heart. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He calmly said, "Oh, I see. Very well, then." He, Rarity and Pinkie Pie left. Fluttershy bared her teeth. Then she realized that Iron Will wasn't the monster.

She was.

She had been so cruel to her friends. She should've remembered Zack's terrible past. She was awful. She slowly trotted back to her cottage, tears forming her eyes.

* * *

The Minotaur Iron Will was coming to collect his payment from Fluttershy. Zack stayed invisible as he watched Pinkie Pie and Rarity trying to stop the Minotaur. In the end it didn't work. However, Fluttershy stood up to the Minotaur.

"I'm not satisfied," she declared. "So I won't pay."

"But Iron Will has never had an unsatisfied customer before!" Iron Will exclaimed.

"Well, I guess I'm the first." Fluttershy said. The stunned Minotaur left. Rarity and Pinkie Pie applauded Fluttershy, then hugged her. She grinned. Zack put on a hood, which covered his face. Only his glowing, green eyes stuck out. He disappeared. He went to his bedroom. Fluttershy arrived there a few minutes later to apologize.

"Zack!" she cried from outside the door. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you!" The door opened; she entered. "I'm so sorry, Zack…" Zack took off his hood, revealing his handsome face.

"I forgive you." he said. Fluttershy squealed with delight and raced into his arms. They hugged and kissed for a little while.

* * *

Zack, once again, helped his girlfriend feed her pets. He felt proud of her when she stood up to Angel.

"Atta girl," he said, patting her shoulder.


	34. It's About Time

"Stay down!" Zack yelled, shooting magic fire at a crystal golem. Jim helped out by shooting poisonous thorns at the creature. It roared and charged for the duo. They dodged the golem, then while its back was turned, fired attacks at it. This sent it sailing out of the Everfree Forest. Zack opened a portal beneath it that would send it straight to Tartarus. He high-fived Jim. However, Jim seemed wary about something.

"What's wrong, Jim?" Zack asked.

Jim sighed. "Princess Celestia contacted me. She told me…" He looked away. "She told me the Goblin King escaped from Tartarus."

* * *

Zack watched Twilight pace around her library.

"We're gonna have it all under control," Twilight said. She seemed to be talking to herself more than Zack. "It's gonna be fine. Next Tuesday will roll around… and we'll be prepared for whatever will happen!"

"Your future self looked pretty ridiculous in my opinion," Zack commented. "I guess the 'disaster' must be pretty bad."

"Twilight! Zack!" Spike cried, entering the library. "There's a three-headed dog outside!"

"Cerebus…" Twilight mumbled. She and Zack ran outside to see the three-headed dog chewing on the roof of a building. People were screaming and running around in a panic.

"Aww… it's so cute!" Fluttershy squealed. Zack nodded in agreement and patted one of Cerebus' heads. He formed a huge stick and threw it for Cerebus. The dog ran after it, picked it up in one of its jaws, and brought back to Zack.

"I've got it!" Twilight cried, in unicorn form. She was levitating a red ball; this caught Cerebus' attention. "I'll take it back to the gates of Tartarus, which it must've escaped from. I'll be back later!" She ran away, the dog following her. Zack gave her a wave.

* * *

Twilight returned the following morning. Spike noticed she was starting to look like her future self.

"Oh no," Twilight exclaimed. "That means nothing has changed! The disaster is still coming!" She started pacing around.

"We'll find a way, surely." Zack said, in an attempt to be comforting.

"I have an idea!" Twilight exclaimed. "I'll just stand here and do nothing! Then nothing will ever happen!" She stood completely still in the corner. Spike smirked.

"So, you won't do anything if I eat some ice-cream?" he asked, using this oppurtunity to his advantage. Twilight didn't say anything. "Thanks!" He pulled out a whole tub of ice-cream and started chowing down. Zack raised his brow.

"What's up?" Rainbow Dash asked, entering the library. She saw Spike dancing annoyingly around Twilight. Zack snapped him out of it.

Spike giggled and turned to Rainbow Dash. "Twilight isn't going to move until next Tuesday. So… we can do whatever we want and she won't do anything about it!"

"Aw, sweet!" Rainbow Dash cheered. She flew over to Twilight. "Look out! There's a mouse right behind you!" Twilight squirmed and almost jumped. She and Spike burst into laughter.

"Uh, guys…" Zack said calmly.

"My turn!" Spike cried. He picked up a feather and started tickling Twilight with it. She looked very irritated. Eventually she couldn't resist it anymore and moved Spike away. This caused him to cough and unleash a wave of fire onto Twilight. This changed her hairstyle into that of Future Twilight's.

"Ouchy…" Zack commented.

"Are you okay, Twilight?!" Spike asked. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"What happened?" Twilight demanded. Spike reluctantly showed her her reflection. "No… this is the second stage! The disaster still isn't prevented. If… If only there was someone who could show me the future."

"Like Madame Pinkie?" Spike asked, pointing outside. There was a pink fortune teller's tent.

"How long has she been there?" Twilight asked, frowning. "We should've gone there ages ago!" She ran outside to the tent. Zack and Spike followed.

"Welcome to Madame Pinkie's place," Pinkie Pie greeted Twilight and her two accomplices. She was wearing a turban and dangly earrings. "Here I will show you your future."

"Since when are you a fortune teller?" Zack asked, cocking his head.

"Since a few minutes ago," Pinkie Pie answered. She waved her hands around a crystal ball. "That's when I got this awesome crystal ball!"

"Can I see my future?" Zack asked, grinning.

"Oh, I see something for you, Zack…" Pinkie Pie scanned her crystal ball. "I see… you're going to have the best birthday party ever!"

"Sounds awesome!" Zack cheered, pumping his fists.

"Pi- Madame Pinkie," Twilight spoke up. "I've come to see my future too."

"Ah," Pinkie Pie stared into her crystal ball. "Yes, I see something here…"

"What is it?" Twilight asked eagerly.

"I see…" Pinkie Pie breathed in. She grinned. "I see… you getting a really cool birthday present next year!"

"That's all?" Twilight asked. "There's nothing more?"

"Uh-huh!" Pinkie Pie replied, lying back in her chair.

"I want to know about the disaster next week," Twilight explained. "Can't you use your Pinkie Sense for that?"

"My Pinkie Sense is only for things happening straight away." Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Her tail started twitching.

"Heads up." Zack spoke, sensing something himself. A flowerpot landed on Twilight's head.

"Where did that even come from?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"I have no idea," Zack replied. He smiled at Pinkie Pie. "After we get Twilight patched up, wanna have some Oreo funnel cake and cherry chunga?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Pinkie Pie agreed.

* * *

Zack was starting to get more worried about Twilight. She now had a bandage on her head from the flowerpot incident, and was programming everything that was happening in her library. The library was full of telescopes, readings, monitors, lists, the list continues. She was getting very carried away.

"Pretty crazy stuff…" Spike observed, shaking his head.

"AH!" Twilight exclaimed, getting sun in her eye from looking through a telescope.

"Hold on!" Pinkie Pie cried. She put an eyepatch around Twilight's eye. "There's an eyepatch for you! I keep eyepatches stored all around Ponyville in case of an eyepatch emergency!"

"No! Another sign…!" Twilight cried. She paced around some more. "I've gotten almost all of the signs, despite what I've done… that means there is only one conclusion." Her eyes widened. "Stop time."

* * *

Twilight, Zack, Jim, Spike and Pinkie Pie headed over to Canterlot, wearing costumes. They were there to search for spells to stop time. They crept through the Canterlot garden, the night sky above them.

Zack gazed at his tree costume. "Is this really worth it?" Jim, who was dressed as a ninja, shrugged.

"Shh!" Twilight hissed. "Guard!" She pretended to be a statue. Zack stood still, holding out his branches. Jim hid behind him. Pinkie Pie and Spike stood still. "Alright, keep moving." Twilight crept forward, staying nearby tall hedges.

"This is hard to walk in." Zack grumbled, eyeing his tree costume.

"Well, at least you don't have to wear this tight thing!" Spike complained. He, Pinkie Pie and Twilight were wearing tight, black costumes. Something that robbers would wear.

"But the disaster isn't even real," Zack sighed. "Twilight won't listen to anyone about it. Not even me. She's too convinced."

"I guess this will convince her." Jim said, shrugging. Zack nodded.

"Here we are," Twilight gasped, staring at the castle. "Let's go in!" She pointed to a window. "Help me up!" Pinkie Pie and Spike gave her a boost.

"Um… you do realize we can use the door, right?" Jim asked, cocking his head at the door next to the window.

"It's probably locked!" Twilight replied. Jim opened the door, still staring at Twilight. "What…? Shouldn't it be locked?"

"Good idea!" Spike cheered. "Let's go in that way." Pinkie Pie and Spike left Twilight hanging on the window and raced over to the door. Zack and Jim followed them. Twilight climbed in through the window regardless.

"Alright," she said, eyeing her accomplices. "We need to find the Starswirl the Bearded wing. We'll spread out and search for it."

"Or… we could go into it right now, because it's right there." Jim said, pointing to the wing. It was right in front of them.

"Oh, ha ha!" Twilight laughed. "There we go!" She tried to open it. "It's locked!" Suddenly, a guard approached them. "Oh no!" She began sweat-beading. "What do I do what do I do?" She kneeled down and hugged her legs. She surrendered.

"Hey, Twilight!" the guard greeted cheerfully. He looked at the entrance to the wing. "You wanna go in here? Here you go." He unlocked the door.

"Oh… thanks!" Twilight replied, giggling nervously.

"We should've done that rather than sneaking in." Zack sighed. The group went into the wing. It was full of old books.

"Alright, it's time to find a time spell." Twilight ordered. "Come on!" The group searched for a spell.

"This isn't going to work," Zack tried to tell Twilight. "There's no disaster!" But Twilight was too set on finding a spell. Zack frowned.

"Oh no, we're running out of time!" Twilight exclaimed, scanning the shelves.

"I can't find anything over here!" Spike cried from somewhere.

"Me neither!" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"The sun's coming up!" Twilight screamed. She fell to her knees. "It's too late! The disaster… it's coming!" There were a few moments of silence. "The disaster…?"

Celestia walked past. "Oh, happy Tuesday, Twilight. I like your new mane style." She saw Zack. "Oh, Zack! Can I talk to you for a moment?" Zack nodded and raced over to her. "I expect you heard about the escape of the Goblin King?"

"Yes," Zack said. "And I've seen other creatures too."

"Whatever is attacking, it's getting more power." Celestia replied, frowning. "Be careful." She left after that. Zack sighed and took a deep breath.

"Zack," Twilight appeared behind him with a smirk. "You were right. I really do look ridiculous, don't I?" She sighed. "Pinkie Pie found a spell that sent me back in time two weeks. I spoke to my past self to try to convince her not to worry so much. I didn't get the chance. Now she'll be worried about some disaster that doesn't even exist."

"Well, that's her problem." Zack said. "The only problem you have now is that wacky hairdo." Twilight and Zack laughed together.


	35. Dragon Quest

"Come on, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash yelled, trying to get the shy, yellow girl to leave her cottage. But she wouldn't budge. Rainbow Dash scowled. "I watched that boring butterfly migration with you, now it's your turn to watch the dragon migration with me!"

Fluttershy growled, "I said… NO!" She kicked Rainbow Dash off of her and leaped out the window, running away. Zack and Twilight Sparkle eyed each other.

"I wasn't expecting that." Zack commented, raising his brow. He sighed. "Oh well, at least she's not afraid of Spike and me. Though other dragons can't be that bad, can they…?"

* * *

Zack and his friends sat in a ditch, waiting for the dragon migration to start. Soon, the dragon migration did start, the girls cooing. Zack wondered if his mom was up there, watching over him. He gave a friendly wave, just in case. Suddenly, after a jeer Rainbow Dash made, a dragon blasted fire at them. Zack formed a huge energy shield, protecting them.

"Whoa, thanks, Zack!" Rainbow Dash cried. "I nearly got burnt!"

"And that's why ya don't mess with dragons, Rainbow Dash." Applejack snorted.

"They are pretty fierce, I guess…" Rainbow Dash mumbled.

"And formidable." Rarity agreed.

"And super-duper scary!" Pinkie Pie added.

"Uh, I'm standing right here you know?" Zack told the girls, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, I take those words as compliments," Spike spoke up, handing everyone treats. "Us dragons are definitely a force to be reckoned with." Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Pinkie Pie laughed.

"Yeah, right, Spike," Rainbow Dash jeered. "That's one of the _scariest_ aprons I've ever seen!"

Spike glared at his apron, which had a heart on it. "What's wrong with wearing an apron? _You_ won't be laughing when _you_ spill blueberries all over _your_ scales. Feathers. That's one tough stain!"

"One _tough stain_ against one _lame_ dragon." Rainbow Dash laughed. Spike looked away.

"You leave him alone, Rainbow Dash! Spike's style is unique. He doesn't have to look like other dragons." Rarity scoffed, grinning at Spike. She gazed at Zack. "Neither do you, Zack."

"You sure are something special." Twilight Sparkle agreed. "You don't need to act or look like other dragons."

"I don't act like other dragons?" Spike asked, looking upset.

"Oh, not even close!" Pinkie Pie giggled.

"But why would you want to, Spike?" Applejack asked.

"Yes," Rarity added, blinking her eyelashes. "You've got something those dreadfully fierce dragons can only dream of."

"Again, standing right here." Zack scoffed.

"Sorry, Zack," Rarity apologized. "I meant _most_ other dragons."

"So I'm not like most other dragons?" Spike asked, looking more depressed than ever. "Fine! Whatever!" He stormed off, his face red.

"Spike!" Zack called after him. He turned to the girls. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. Maybe I can snap him out of this behaviour." Zack chased after Spike. The small dragon was headed to Twilight Sparkle's library, still looking upset. "Spike!" Zack yelled as the dragon entered the library. Spike gazed back.

"Who am I?" he asked, deep in thought. "Where am I from? Who am I supposed to be? I need to find out, Zack." He began looking through the shelves.

"Spike…" Zack sighed. Truthfully, he already knew where Spike belonged. It was with his pony friends. They may not be the same species, but they cared about him all the same. Zack knew now that he needed to help his little brother understand. A perfect idea had settled in his head. He walked over to Spike and kneeled down to his height. "Hey, Spike," he spoke gently. "Do you want to discover who you are?"

Spike dropped the books he was holding. "You bet I do!"

"Great," Zack replied. "Because I know exactly how."

* * *

"You're doing what?!" Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle screamed the next morning.

"That's right," Zack said, putting food in his rucksack. "Spike and I are joining the dragon migration." He lowered his voice and winked. "Don't worry, I'll watch over him."

"It's gonna be great!" Spike agreed, high-fiving Zack.

"I can't believe this…" Rarity gasped, fainting.

"C'mon Zack, even for you, this is crazy!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"Well I think this is a great opportunity." Twilight countered, placing the rucksack on Zack's shoulders.

"Dude! You can't be serious!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Twilight Sparkle didn't reply.

"Good luck, you two," she said, smiling at the dragons. To Zack, she whispered, "We'll be following behind in disguise. Don't tell Spike."

"Alright, but be careful." Zack whispered back. He faced Spike. "Ready to go, little bro?"

"You bet!" Spike cheered. With that, they walked out of the library, the girls waving. Due to Spike's lack of flight, Zack offered him a ride to the Badlands - or, the home of the dragons. It was a fiery wasteland upon some volcanos. Large dragons were sitting around, guarding their jewels.

"Teenage dragons!" Spike cried, racing off to smaller dragons. "That's more my speed! And size." He approached the teenage dragons, who were cheering about something. Meanwhile, Zack noticed the girls dressed up in a ridiculous dragon costume. He wondered if it would actually fool anyone. He focused back on Spike.

"Um, excuse me?" Spike nervously approached the dragons. "Uh, hi. I'm Spike."

"You sure your name is Spike and not _Shrimp_?!" a skinny purple dragon mocked. The others laughed.

"No, it's Spike!" Spike cried. He frowned. "I'm not, I mean, I'm sure about that…"

"You look more like _Peewee_ to me." a brown, chubby dragon called Clump mocked. The dragons laughed again.

"Hey guys, c'mon, seriously," a red dragon named Garble stepped forward. "Leave him alone or he might fly away. That is, uh, if he had any wings!" The dragons laughed again. Zack growled. He flashed from his ghost form to his normal form and approached the dragons. They sensed something familiar about him, something like his power.

Zack grabbed Garble. He hissed, "Oh yeah? How about you land in the ground without you wings?" He smashed Garble against the ground. The dragon crashed into the wall. The other dragons didn't speak. They were terrified.

* * *

Zack proved himself again when the dragons held contests of who was the best dragon. During the belching contest, he belched black and white flames that caused a huge earthquake. He was beyond furious when Garble chucked away a letter that Spike had coughed up from Princess Celestia, then mocked her and Luna. Zack stalked up to the red dragon, who backed away in fear.

"How do you like saying that to the face of their boyfriend?!" Zack roared, glaring at Garble. "They defeated Discord and saved Equestria and you're mocking them?! Say it to their face!" After that, the dragons had a tail-wrestling match. With his powerful tail, Zack sent the contestants flying away or crashing against the wall. He also helped Spike climb up a pile of jewels and knocked the other dragons off. When Spike fell, Zack caught him.

The last challenge was to jump in lava. Zack and Spike jumped in together. Spike did a belly flop, which everyone groaned in pain at. Zack, slipping into the lava, was thankful he was part dragon or else he would be burning.

Later on, the dragons decided to raid a phoenix nest. They headed down into the forest, Zack giving Spike a ride again. He noticed the girls following after them in their wacky costume. He still had no idea how the dragons had fallen for it. Anyway, he, Spike and the teenage dragons arrived in the forest. Initially the dragons wanted Spike to distract the birds, but Zack stubbornly volunteered. He flew up to the phoenix nest, remembering Celestia's pet phoenix.

"Hey guys," he spoke gently. "I'm friends with Celestia's phoenix. Just saying, I don't want to hurt you, but they do." He jerked his head to the teenage dragons. "So… do yourself a favour and go after them. I'll look after your eggs while you're gone." The Phoenixes, seeing Zack was honest, flew after the teenage dragons, chasing them down. Zack sat on the nest. Suddenly, the egg hatched, revealing a baby phoenix.

"That's so cute!" Spike called, watching from the ground. Zack tickled the phoenix. It squawked affectionately. Suddenly, the dragons returned. They gazed at Zack.

"We figured out who you are!" Garble cried.

"Just now?" Zack asked, raising his brow.

"You're… you're the son of the dragon goddess!" Garble exclaimed. He and his friends bowed before Zack. Zack gave Spike a weird look. But he was glad they were respecting him.

Konton had possessed Luna's body. Feeling evil, he sent Celestia a message with a hint. Then he was gone.


	36. Hurricane Fluttershy

Zack raced over to Canterlot Castle when he heard the news. Princess Celestia wanted to speak to him about something urgent. Soon, he arrived. Princess Celestia looked panicked. She was pacing around in the throne room.

"Princess Celestia!" Zack exclaimed, eyeing her. "Are you okay?"

"Zack, there is something terrible coming," Princess Celestia said, breathing heavily. "An evil force controlled my sister the other day. Something terrible is coming. I don't know what, but something is coming."

"I see." Zack replied, nodding. "I'll keep an eye out."

* * *

Zack attended the mandatory meeting for all pegasi (and, since he could fly, he could go as well). The meeting was about creating a tornado to deliver water to Cloudsdale. The water would make rain for Equestria. The pegasi needed to fly together in order to create the tornado. They - well, Rainbow Dash - also wanted to break the windspeed record, which was an award for the amount of wingpower. Zack wondered if he could help, even though he wasn't a pony.

Fluttershy was scared out of her mind. She left the meeting when nopony was looking, much to Rainbow Dash's annoyance. Zack spoke to the blue girl after the meeting was finished.

"Oh, sure, you can definitely help!" Rainbow Dash said cheerfully. "I mean, traditionally, it's a thing for pegasi only, but we need all the wingpower we can get. We can just say you're an honorary pegasus." She winked.

"Now we just need Fluttershy, right?" Zack asked.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash said, lowering her brow. "Fluttershy."

* * *

The next morning, everyone was training hard. Zack zoomed around the oval, testing his speed. He could go pretty fast.

"Nice work, Zack!" Rainbow Dash called from across the oval. "You're killing it!" Zack gave her a thumbs up. After some more training, Rainbow Dash called everyone over to a lap. There was a fan-like object on the side, Twilight Sparkle and Spike standing next to it. The pegasi were lined up, ready to fly.

"What's going on here?" Zack asked Rainbow Dash.

"We're testing everyone's wingpower," she explained. "The more wingpower, the better." A pegasus flew past the fan, getting a reading of 7.0. "Not too bad, Thunderbolt! Keep training and you'll reach 10.0!" She looked at Zack. "Go ahead and join the que. We'll see how fast you can go. Fluttershy's here, too." Zack nodded and joined the line. He saw Fluttershy ahead, looking nervous. Soon, it was her turn. She looked even more nervous.

Fluttershy flew incredibly slowly past the fan. She only got a reading of 0.5. A few people laughed at her. Her face flushed red and she ran away in embarrassment.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash called after her. But she was gone. So Zack chased after her instead. He found her underneath a tree, crying heavily. Her animal friends were trying to comfort her.

"Fluttershy…" Zack sat down next to her. "Hey. It's okay. Don't cry." He made a silly face, making her laugh. "You can do it, Fluttershy. You just need to train."

"No I can't." Fluttershy retorted, tears falling from her eyes again.

"Yes you can," Zack replied. "You just need to believe in yourself. I do. Your friends do. And so can you."

"You're…" Fluttershy sniffed. Then she looked determined. "No, you're right! I can do this!" She soared into the sky. "I'll make everyone see that I'm a good - not, a GREAT flyer!" Everyone cheered as Fluttershy flew in front of the sun, her silhouette shining. Then her training begun.

Zack and the animals helped Fluttershy train. They helped her overcome some of her fears and become stronger. By the end, Zack noticed she had more confidence. He felt proud of her. He walked behind her as she took the wingpower contest again. She got 2.3. Everyone told her that was a great improvement, but Fluttershy still felt disappointed.

"How would you feel if everypony else was flying with 10.0 wing power and you were flying with 2.5?" Fluttershy asked bitterly, flying away. Zack shook his head at Rainbow Dash.

"If only there was a way to lift Fluttershy out of the dumps." Rainbow Dash said, agreeing with the look in his eyes.

* * *

The next day, the pegasus ponies lined up at the dam for the event. However, a number of ponies had gone down with the feather flu.

"Let's see, with those eight sick Pegasi out with the feather flu…" Twilight Sparkle gasped. "Oh no!"

"Don't tell me we won't be able to break the windspeed record!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"No..." Twilight Sparkle assured her.

"Phew!" Rainbow Dash said, wiping her brow.

Twilight Sparkle gasped, "You might not have enough wing power to create a tornado powerful enough to lift the water to Cloudsdale!"

"Well, should we pack up?" Spike asked hopelessly.

Rainbow Dash yelled, "No. Of course not. Forget the record. Cloudsdale still needs water!" She addressed the pegasi in the line (and Zack). "Okay, everypony! Let's give it all we've got! On the sound of the horn, we take off!"

Spike took a deep breath and blew through the horn. The pegasi and Zack took the sky, flying around to create a tornado. Soon they did; wind was flying everywhere. Twilight Sparkle tapped the giant anemometer - which was a giant version of the fan machine. The readings began going up. Twilight Sparkle took a deep breath. In order to get the water to Cloudsdale, the fliers needed to reach eight-hundred wingpower.

"You think they're gonna make it to eight hundred wing power?" Spike asked Twilight, grabbing onto the anemometer. He was trying not to let himself be carried by the wind.

"I sure hope so!" Twilight replied. She eyed the anemometer. "One hundred and fifty wing power. Two hundred and fifty wing power. Five hundred wing power!" Water began going through the tornado like a tunnel. "Seven-hundred wingpower!"

"Twilight!" Fluttershy crawled over, animals clinging at her heels.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed, her hair blowing in the wind. "What are you doing here?!"

"I figured... if I couldn't help Rainbow Dash with the tornado... the least I could do was offer moral support!" Fluttershy answered.

"She could sure use it, considering eight Pegasi are sick with the feather flu!" Twilight Sparkle replied, a strained expression on her face.

"Oh no! That's terrible news!" Fluttershy cried. Suddenly, the tornado went all wonky. Pegasi began bashing into each other. One of them bashed into Zack. The whole kerfuffle came crumbling down. Water was everywhere.

"Are you okay?" Twilight Sparkle approached Rainbow Dash, who was lying on the grass.

"I'm fine." Rainbow Dash muffled, her face in the grass.

"Oh, you were so close to the eight hundred wing power minimum!" Twilight Sparkle said sadly. "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash." Suddenly, Rainbow Dash picked herself up and flew into the sky. Zack, who had crash-landed in a tree, came over to watch.

"Zack!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but that was a pretty rough landing." Zack replied, shaking his head. He eyed Rainbow Dash.

"We've got to try again!" she yelled, folding her arms.

"But you've pushed your crew to their limit already!" Twilight Sparkle retorted, trying to bring Rainbow Dash back down with her magic. She yelped. "If you break apart again, somepony could get hurt! You should quit, it's not safe!"

"She's got a point." Zack said, nodding.

"No!" Rainbow Dash growled. "One more time! I've gotta know we gave it our all! If I'm going down, I'm going down flying! C'mon, ponies, let's make this happen!" The pegasus ponies cheered. Zack shrugged at Twilight Sparkle, then prepared to fly. He and the others soared into the sky and flew around. Zack flew in the same position as before, gradually speeding up. Rainbow Dash flew next to him for a little while.

"We've gotta keep staying strong, Zack," she told him. "We've gotta keep together! The water's trying to funnel through!"

"Got it!" Zack heartily replied. He continued speeding up. Rainbow Dash stayed with him. "Do you think we're beating it?"

"I don't think so!" Rainbow Dash yelled. The wind dimmed their volume. "Twilight doesn't look too happy!"

"Hey!" Zack yelled. He pointed downwards. "Is that Fluttershy?!"

"No way!" Rainbow Dash yelled, eyeing said pegasus. She was flying and looking strong. "She's flying with us!"

"Amazing!" Zack yelled. He gasped. "The water!" It was true. The water was funneling through the tunnel. It was headed to Cloudsdale. "Fluttershy!" He yelled at the yellow girl. "You did it!" The water was at the top. It popped through and flew all the way to Cloudsdale. After that, the tornado disbanded. Everyone was cheerful. However, Fluttershy was still flying.

"Whoa!" Zack and Rainbow Dash appeared in front of her. She gasped in surprise and stopped.

"That was incredible!" Zack told Fluttershy, giving her a mid-air hug.

"It was the best!" Rainbow Dash agreed, grinning. "You did it! You saved Equestria!"

"Ah heh heh…" Fluttershy blushed, hugging Zack. Other pegasus ponies came over to congratulate her. She had a feeling the smile on her face wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.


	37. Ponyville Confidential

Zack sighed, meditating within the Everfree forest's center. His powers caused trees to float in the air and change shape. Good. He was gaining control and focus. He took a deep breath and planted the trees in the thick roots and grass. A grin spread on his face. Training was a success.

Zack left the forest and returned to Ponyville. He saw Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom running around, chatting about their new magazine. They were starting a Ponyville magazine about the ponies of Equestria and other events, under the command of Diamond Tiara (who was their bully). However, even though they were pressured by their bully, they enjoyed writing the magazine.

They were also wearing badges for the Zack fanclub, since he was the hero of Ponyville. They saw him as an older brother and a hero. So they started a club to recognize this. Their eyes lit up when Zack approached.

"Hey, guys," Zack greeted them. "How's the magazine coming along?"

"It's awesome!" Scootaloo answered. She frowned. "Though Diamond Tiara wants to put… gossip in it."

"Don't listen to her," Zack told them sternly. "Don't put gossip in the magazine. Instead, we'll find something interesting to report about. How about you interview Mayla, Jim and myself?"

"That's a good idea!" Sweetie Belle chirped. "Then… we can interview every other pony!"

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom cheered, fist-pumping the air. "Cutie Mark Crusaders, together!" The three fillies high-fived.

"You three can interview me right now if you want." Zack told them. "I'll get Jim and Mayla here so you can interview them too."

"You're the best, Zack!" the fillies chirped.

"Nothing I wouldn't do for my friends." Zack replied, chuckling.

* * *

The Cutie Mark Crusaders brought Zack, Jim and Mayla to their clubhouse. They interviewed them over there about what was happening in Ponyville, their general life, their opinions of the news and so on. They found out it was Zack's birthday the following day. Jim and Mayla gave each other a knowing glance. They also found out Mayla liked chocolate and that Jim enjoyed spring-cleaning and music. Everything seemed well and good. Until they arrived.

To destroy the Phantom Dragon, Olalander and the Goblin King had decided to work together. They came to Ponyville, ready to take him away. This caused chaos to stumble across the humble town. Zack found them and gave them both a hard glare. He eyed the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Mayla and Jim.

"This is a good news report." he told the young girls. They squealed in excitement. He eyed his friends. "Protect them for me." He faced Olalander and the Goblin King.

"You're coming with us, lizard breath." the Goblin King growled.

"Likely story," Zack snorted. "Have you put on weight or are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

The Goblin King didn't look happy about that. He and Olalander charged towards Zack, aggression on their faces. Zack, focusing, blasted them back with a wave of energy. But they got up and charged towards him again. Olalander picked up someone's house and threw it towards Zack. The resident screamed. Zack used his powers to bring it down to safety. The Goblin King appeared above Zack and tried to smash him with his fists. But Zack teleported away.

Zack turned into his dragon form and picked up the Goblin King with his massive tail. He swung the villain onto the ground many times, until he was stopped by Olalander. He fired blasts of energy at Olalander, who avoided most of the attacks. Olalander knocked Zack down; he crashed landed onto some couple's chocolate cake.

"Sorry," he apologized, wiping icing off his wing. The couple waved it off. Zack gave them a grin and soared into the sky. He held a shield in front of him and launched bolts at Olalander, who was helping the Goblin King stand. Olalander got hit and face-palmed into the ground. However, the Goblin King was awake. He roared and tried to punch the flying Zack. The dragon teleported away, appearing behind them.

"This'll make sure you two don't come back anytime soon." he grumbled. He used his powers and sent the villains flying into the sky. They yelped. Up in the air, Zack formed a portal beneath them, sending them to Tartarus. He took a deep breath of relief and floated back down to the ground. The people around him cheered and clapped.

"This is gonna make one sick story!" Scootaloo cheered, looking up from her notes. The crusaders high-fived. Zack laughed.

"It certainly will." he said.

* * *

While Zack was distracted with the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their magazine, Konton visited the six girls. At first, they thought he was Zack. He looked almost identical to the Phantom Dragon. But then he told them he wasn't Zack, merely his brother.

"But you'd better stay alert," Konton told them. "Because I'll be coming for him. And none of you will be prepared."

"I'll make sure I'll be very prepared." Twilight Sparkle retorted.

"Oh yeah? Bring it on, you freaky Zack clone!" Rainbow Dash growled.

"You… you monster!" Rarity exclaimed. She made a face. "Well, I'll make sure you don't hurt a single scale on his body!"

"Please…!" Fluttershy whimpered. "Don't hurt him!"

"Don't even think about it, partner." Applejack growled.

"Whoa…! A brotherly meet-up!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "How exciting!" She grinned. "I'll bring the party food!"

"I don't think you get it," Konton said, eyeing Pinkie Pie. He shrugged. "Oh well." He left with an evil grin. "None of them get it. None of them will be ready to loose their precious Zacky."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had ignored Zack's advice about not using gossip and insulted everyone in Ponyville. They were terrified of Diamond Tiara. She could be very commanding and harsh. So they listened to her, especially since she threatened to embarrass them.

"Guys, I told you not to include gossip." Zack told the crusaders. They had been turned away by everyone, even their own families. Having nowhere else to go, they ran to Zack. Zack was the only one who hadn't been gossiped about. Diamond Tiara was crazy, but she had seen what Zack was capable of. She didn't want to enter his territory with a bad name.

"We're sorry, Zack," Apple Bloom apologized, sniffling. "Now everyone hates us. We should've listened to you."

"What are we gonna do?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Maybe we should leave Ponyville. We're not welcome here."

"No, that's not what you should do," Zack told them. "You should apologize to everyone. Write an apologetic article about all of this, then print it. If you apologize, your friends and family will see you're sorry. Don't run away. That will just make everything worse. If you have the courage to apologize, apologize. Everything will be okay after that."

"Zack, you're a genius!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle agreed. "That's right! We'll apologize to everyone!"

"C'mon, gals!" Apple Bloom said, racing off. "We've got a newspaper to write!" She and the other girls jumped onto their scooter and drove away. Zack grinned.

"They'll fix it," he said. "Good girls." He stared at the sky. The clouds bounced against each other. "Happy Early Birthday, Zack."


	38. MMMystery on the Friendship Express

Queen Chrysalis was seated in her throne, guarded by Changeling guards. A group of them suddenly came in, surrounding Konton. Queen Chrysalis stared at him.

"Your highness," Konton greeted, bowing.

"What is it?" Queen Chrysalis asked, staring at him.

"It is time." Konton replied, smirking.

* * *

"Just a little bit further…" Pinkie Pie grunted. She was wearing a flashing safety helmet. Big McIntosh was carrying a large cake on his back. Mr and Mrs Cake were behind him, nervously eyeing the cake.

"Don't worry," Zack assured them. "We'll make sure nothing happens to it." He was using his power to keep the cake completely still. The girls were around it, watching the cake with wide eyes. They reached the train carriage. Someone had knocked the door down so they could enter.

"Careful!" Mrs Cake exclaimed, sweat-beading.

"I can't look!" Mr Cake cried, looking away. Big McIntosh put the cake inside the carriage, Zack's magic keeping it stable. Everyone cheered. The Cakes fainted.

"Whoo-hoo!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "We got this!" The girls and Zack climbed aboard the train while Big McIntosh fixed the broken door. "Thanks so much for your help, everypony!"

"It was nothing." Zack replied, grinning.

"Thank you for letting us come with you to the National Dessert Competition!" Twilight Sparkle commented.

"I've never been to a dessert competition before." Zack mused. "This will be interesting."

"It'll be more than interesting, Zacky!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "It'll be amazing! You'll love it! And wait until you try the cake!" She pointed to the large, cream-coloured cake, decorated with flowers and fruits. It smelled amazing. "It will definitely take first prize!" She proceeded to describe the cake in detail, making everyone aboard hungry for the dessert.

Suddenly, three competitors came on board. They all had their own desserts. There was Gustave le Grand, a French, pompous griffon with a bunch of exquisite chocolate eclairs. He was followed by Donut Joe, a unicorn who worked at Twilight Sparkle's favourite donut shop in Canterlot. He had made something called 'Donutopia', a model city made of donuts. Finally there was Mulia Mild, a mule who had made a large chocolate mousse moose. All of them believed they were going to come first.

"The Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness is going to win!" Pinkie Pie snapped.

"Nonsense! My exquisite eclairs will take first place!" Gustave Le Grand protested.

"You can't top my donuts!" Donut Joe spat.

"My mousse moose is better than all your desserts!" Mulia Mild scoffed. The four entrants continued to argue.

"Alright, alright!" Twilight Sparkle split them up after a little while. "I think we should all hit the sack. We've got a big day tomorrow, everypony." The entrants (aside from Pinkie Pie) turned up their noses and stalked off. Twilight Sparkle eyed Pinkie Pie. "You too, Pinkie."

"No! We have to stay and guard the cake!" Pinkie Pie protested.

"All night?" Rainbow Dash asked. "No thanks. I'm hitting the hay." She flew to the bedrooms.

"Sorry, Pinkie," Applejack told Pinkie Pie. "But don't worry. Who would steal your cake?" She disappeared down the halls as well. So did the other girls. Zack patted Pinkie Pie's shoulder.

"It'll be fine, Pinkie," he told her. "Don't worry about it." There was a look of determination in Pinkie Pie's eyes. "But if you really wanna stay here, we can't stop you." He left as well and entered his train apartment. He flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Happy Early Birthday, Zack." he sighed. He fell asleep.

* * *

Zack woke up to the sound of Pinkie Pie screaming. He left the room and raced down the halls.

"Pinkie Pie!" Twilight Sparkle was by his side. She eyed Pinkie Pie. "What's wrong?" The others were there as well, including the other chefs. Zack noticed Rarity was hiding one of her eyes behind a lock of hair.

"I like your hair, Rarity." Zack complimented. She gave him a flustered thanks.

"The cake!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "It's... IT'S RUINED!" The cake had three large bites taken out of it. Everyone gasped. "And I know dun' it!"

"Who did it," Twilight Sparkle corrected. "And how exactly do you know?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Pinkie Pie asked. "It was the bakers!"

"How do you know it was the bakers?" Twilight Sparkle asked, raising her brow.

"No! It wasn't just any baker…" Pinkie Pie said dramatically. She turned around, donning a deerstalker hat and a bubble pipe. She gave Twilight Sparkle a bowler hat. "It was…" She jumped on Gustave Le Grand. "Gustave le Grand!"

"Nonsense!" Gustave scoffed, pushing her away.

"And do you have proof that it was him?" Zack asked, raising his brow.

"I do!" Pinkie Pie answered. She told a story about how Gustave le Grande destroyed the cake with a saw and tied her to train tracks. Twilight Sparkle pointed out the flaws, such as that the cake had been bitten, not sawed and Pinkie Pie couldn't be tied to train tracks if she was present in the train carriage.

"Well, then!" Pinkie Pie shouted. "It's so obvious… the true culprit is… Donut Joe!" She proceeded to explain that Joe was a super secret spy with a laser-beam security system. He had knocked her out with knockout gas and sliced the cake with the security system.

"Pinkie! There is no laser beam security system," Twilight Sparkle groaned. "And Joe is not sleek, stealthy Con Mane! He's big, gruff, and messy!"

"Hey!" Donut Joe complained.

"Although, you would look rather dapper in a tuxedo." Rarity commented. Pinkie Pie told the next story about Mulia Mild. The mule knocked Pinkie Pie out with a frying pan then ninja-sliced the cake into little pieces. Pinkie Pie physically intimidated Mulia Mild for a bit, until Twilight Sparkle stopped her.

"I don't think you should assume things, Pinkie Pie," Zack told her. "We need to gather clues before we do anything." Twilight Sparkle nodded in agreement.

Pinkie Pie frowned. "But I was so sure the other bitter bakers would've destroyed the MMM so their own dessert could've reigned supreme." She continued on to describe the other desserts. Suddenly, the train went into a tunnel; all the lights went out. When they turned back on, the other desserts had been consumed. Everyone screamed.

Pinkie Pie gasped. "Now I have no idea who do-doned it!"

* * *

Twilight Sparkle asked everyone to leave so she and Pinkie Pie could solve the mystery. Zack waited in his room until they called everyone back, as they had discovered the true culprits. Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle argued for a little bit… until Twilight Sparkle brought up an important point.

"No, Pinkie," Twilight retorted. "Remember how when you chased the suspect to the caboose, they suddenly disappeared? That's because they flew away. But the thief did leave a little something behind, didn't you, Rainbow Dash?" She faced Rainbow Dash.

"I-I don't even like cake!" Rainbow Dash spluttered.

"So Rainbow Dash did it! Case solved!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"Case not solved, because when we went to the engine, I saw the conductor's hat," Twilight said. She pulled something out of a bag. "And inside the hat was... this." It was a strand of pink hair - Fluttershy's hair. Everyone gasped. Fluttershy blushed. Pinkie Pie mistakenly believed it was Rainbow Dash's mane. "Pinkie, remember? You chased a pony to the engine, where you thought you saw the conductor shoveling coal, but that wasn't the conductor at all. It was... Fluttershy!"

"Oh my." Fluttershy gasped, leaning away. Pinkie Pie attempted to pounce on her, but she was interrupted by Twilight Sparkle.

"Pinkie!" Twilight complained. She frowned curiously. "But then another clue confounded my suspicions. You were guarding the cake when the curtains mysteriously closed. But that's no mystery, that's magic. But when the thief tried to make their great escape, they left a little addition to the portrait." She held up some false eyelashes. "Has anypony else noticed that Rarity is wearing her hair rather differently today?" She gazed at Rarity.

"What?" the unicorn scoffed. "Is it a crime to change one's style now and again? Why, I think it's a crime not to." She looked away.

"Really?" Twilight Sparkle asked. She levitated Rarity's mane up, revealing Rarity's eye… which had no eyelashes.

"Fine! I'm guilty! I wear false eyelashes!" Rarity complained. She waved her hand. "Oh, and I took a bite of the cake."

"Me too." Rainbow Dash admitted.

"I did as well." Fluttershy sighed.

"You just made it sound…" Rainbow Dash began.

"So spectacular!" Rarity added.

"So amazing." Fluttershy agreed.

"I… I just couldn't resist!" Rarity exclaimed.

"We're sorry, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash said, bowing her head.

"Really sorry." Fluttershy agreed.

"It's okay." Pinkie Pie sighed.

"But who devoured the other bakers' goods?" Zack asked. Pinkie Pie gasped.

"I know what we need to do!" she cried. "Look for clues!" Twilight Sparkle put the deerstalker hat on Pinkie Pie's head. Pinkie Pie cheered and searched the bakers. Soon, she was finished. "I know who did it!"

"Who?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"The bakers!" Pinkie Pie answered dramatically. Everyone gasped. "First of all, Gustave has mousse in his moustache! And Joe has eclair in his hair! And Mulia has sprinkles in her wrinkles!" The bakers blushed and looked away. Soon, they apologized to each other.

"But what are we gonna do now?" Applejack asked.

"I've got an idea." Pinkie Pie grinned.

* * *

The bakers combined their desserts, creating a whole new dessert. It was a mix of donuts, eclairs, the cake and the mousse moose head on top. It came first prize. Princess Celestia was very keen to eat the cake. So was everyone else.

"Happy Early Birthday, Zack," Twilight Sparkle gave Zack a piece of cake.

"Thanks," he replied. "Got any plans for my birthday?"

"I can't tell you that, Zack," Twilight Sparkle replied. She grinned. "But trust me, it'll be something unforgettable."


	39. Zack's Birthday

"So, Zack," Jim was taking Zack through the Everfree Forest. Zack admired the dark trees and the dreary atmosphere. Faint cries of animals were in the distance. Zack smiled. He loved the Everfree Forest. It was so beautiful. And so peaceful. Perfect place to mediate.

"What is it, Jim?" Zack asked, eyeing his pet and best friend.

"I wanted to show you something." Jim replied. Zack followed him past some trees. Jim stopped at an area full of bushes. They were shaped into a house. It looked like an igloo. Vines were wrapped around them, keeping them together. Jim lead Zack inside. It was a little green and leafy house. There was a couch made of bushes. There was a table made of sticks. Zack was astounded.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"My… home, before… you adopted me." Jim answered.

"You built all this?" Zack asked. Jim nodded. "Wow… this is all really good."

"Thanks," Jim replied, smiling. "It took a lot of work."

"I can imagine." Zack replied, chuckling. He and Jim sat on the bush couch. It was very peaceful in here.

"If you want to come here to mediate and whatnot, feel free to, Zack." Jim told Zack, giving him a smile.

"Thanks, Jim." Zack replied, crossing his legs. He paused. "You know, there's something… special about today."

"What is it?" Jim asked.

"Well, aside from the fact that it's my birthday…" Zack paused. Something… felt wrong. "Something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Jim asked, raising his brow.

"I don't know," Zack replied, shrugging. "Maybe it's just me." But… something was just nagging him. He couldn't explain it. But he did know he didn't like it.

Jim suddenly gasped. Zack gave him a look.

"What is it, Jim?" Zack asked.

"We have to go," Jim said, standing up. He offered his hand to Zack. "There's something you have to see!" He sounded desperate. Zack accepted his hand. They raced off.

* * *

Jim led Zack to Sugar Cube Corner. It was suspiciously quiet. There wasn't a single person or pony anywhere. Zack shook his head. What was going on? Jim didn't look concerned at all.

"Jim… where is everyone?" Zack asked, raising his brow.

"I dunno," Jim replied, sweat appearing on his brow. Zack tapped his chin. "Let's go inside." Jim opened the door. Zack followed him. It was completely deserted.

"What is going on…?" Zack asked, shaking his head.

"SURPRISE!" a bunch of voices yelled. Zack stumbled backwards. It seemed the entire town of Ponyville had snuck into Sugar Cube Corner. There were decorations covering the roof and walls. Food was everywhere. There were so many lights and colours. A huge pile of presents was nearby a large, rainbow cake. Someone turned on some music.

"This… this is all for me?" Zack asked. He had to stop himself from crying tears of joy. "Wow… you guys… you didn't have to do this for me…"

"Of course we did, Zacky!" Pinkie Pie giggled in response. "You're our friend! You deserve it!"

"Absolutely, sugar cube." Applejack grinned, eyeing Zack.

"You're even more fabulous than my most fabulous outfit!" Rarity commented.

"You're so nice…" Fluttershy said, blushing ever so slightly.

"You're AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash yelled, fist-pumping the air.

"And you're one of the best friends I've ever had." Twilight Sparkle said. Zack wiped his eyes.

"Thanks, guys," he said. He couldn't stop smiling. "I… I can't tell you how much I love you all…" He spread his arms. All his friends crowded around him, giving him a group hug. He couldn't stop crying. He was so lucky to have all these amazing friends. Many other people joined in on the group hug. Zack was squashed, but he didn't care. He stretched his arms so he could hug everyone.

"You're amazing…" he mumbled. "I'm… I'm so blessed…"

"We love you too, Zack." Twilight Sparkle whispered.

"Uh… guys!" Spike's voice chirped up. "You're kinda squishing me!"

"Alrighty," Zack stepped back. He smiled at his friends. "C'mon, guys. Let's have some fun!"

"Not so fast." a voice boomed. A hole was blown through the roof. Debris was littered everywhere. People screamed.

"Who… what…" Zack began.

"You remember me, don't you, brother?" a person flew in through the hole. Zack recongized him instantly.

Konton.

"What are you doing here?" Zack asked. Konton, his half-brother. The one who had been hunting him. The evil one. Zack clenched his fists.

"It's not really that hard to figure out," Konton answered, tilting his head. "I'm here to kill you."

"We won't let you!" Rainbow Dash yelled. She and the others stood protectively in front of Zack. Konton laughed with amusement.

"That's adorable," he commented. "But it's not going to help you." He waved his hand. The girls were forced into the ground by Konton's power. Konton glared at Zack. "It's just me and you, Zack."

"That's how it's meant to be." Zack replied. He glared at Konton. "You won't be harming any of my family. My real family."

"We'll see about that." Konton replied. With telekinesis, he picked Zack up. Zack was launched through the window. He landed in the house next door. His leg felt limp. Mess was all around him. Through the hole he landed in, Zack could see Konton with a sly grin. Zack flapped his wings. His hand lit up.

"Get out of here!" Zack yelled. He fired a beam of power at Konton. Konton shielded it.

"I was expecting something more from you," Konton admitted. "Oh well!" He turned invisible. He teleported behind Zack. He smashed him with super strength. Zack landed face-first onto the ground. Konton threw a bunch of beams of power onto Zack, crushing every part of his body. Zack couldn't move. He was completely paralyzed. His mouth tasted like dirt and sweat.

"You'll never be able to stop me!" Konton cackled. Power wrapped around Zack, keeping him completely still. "I didn't even have to try that hard and you're already down! What do your precious little friends have to say about that? They'll never get to see you ever again!"

"No…" Zack mumbled. But he couldn't move, no matter how much he struggled.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your little birthday present." Konton hissed. His fist was glowing red. Zack looked away. Was it really over so soon? He glanced at his friends. They couldn't do anything either. It really was over.

No. Zack refused. He wasn't going to die yet.

Zack's body glowed gold. He broke out of the prison. He floated into the air. In his head, he could hear his mother's voice. He missed her so much. Now, he felt connected with her once again. She was chiding him on.

"So you managed to break out," Konton shrugged it off like he didn't care. "Well, that won't be forever! You won't survive this, Phantom Dragon!" He shot waves of power at Zack. He teleported out of the way. They destroyed someone's house.

"You will leave." Zack commanded. He teleported over to his half-brother. He punched him in the face with black, glowing power. Konton was launched into a building. He angrily stood up. He flew into the air. Zack joined him. While mid-flight, they launched bolts of power at each other. It was a mixture of colour. Everyone watched from below, cheering Zack on. This gave him strength. He knew he could do it.

Konton blasted Zack to the ground again. Zack landed on his wings. They stung with agonizing pain. Zack yelled something. His friends gasped.

"Pathetic, how weak you are," Konton teased. "I can't believe we're related."

"I'm not weak." Zack retorted. He felt immeasurable power resonating inside him. He refused to lose this battle. He felt himself transform. He turned into his huge dragon form. He towered above Konton, power radiating from his eyes. Konton gazed up at the glowing dragon.

"Nice party trick, birthday boy," he commented. His voice sounded slightly shaky. "But do you really think that will defeat me?"

Zack roared. He slammed his tail on Konton. Konton shielded himself, hatred in his eyes. Zack roared, breathing out destructive fire. Konton teleported away. Zack flew into the air, flapping his majestic wings. He kept an eye out for Konton.

Konton suddenly appeared, glowing black. His eyes were pure red. His wings were spiky. His clothes were flowing. He cackled darkly. He launched a ray of darkness at Zack. Zack fought it back by blowing powerful fire. The two battled for a little while. Konton was launched into the ground. He created a large crater. Zack's half-brother stood up and bared his teeth. He flew into the air. Dark storm clouds appeared around him.

"I WILL NOT LOSE TO YOU, BROTHER." Konton declared, his voice ear-shattering. Thunder boomed. Konton unleashed a gigantic bolt of dark energy towards Zack. The phantom dragon shielded himself. But the power was strong. Zack wasn't sure how much more he could take.

Zack roared. He breathed out golden fire. Konton teleported out of the way. He raised a clawed hand. Dark lightning came out of the sky. It made its way towards Zack. It burned his snout. Zack flew into the sky again. He swiped Konton with his wing. Konton, however, stayed still. An evil grin was on his face. He grabbed Zack with a magic hand made of dark magic and smashed him into the ground. Zack crushed another building. Wooden was digging into his wings. He roared in pain. He felt sick. Konton really was strong.

"Zack!" Twilight Sparkle yelled encouragingly. "Don't give up!"

"We're behind you, sugar cube!" Applejack agreed.

"Go Zacky go!" Pinkie Pie cheered, waving pom-poms.

"Show that mean old dragon who's boss!" Rarity encouraged.

"You got this, Zack!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"I believe in you!" Fluttershy quietly yelled. Zack got to his feet. He flew into the air again. He knew what he needed to do defeat his half-brother.

"KONTON," he boomed. "YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. WITH THE POWER MY MOTHER GRANTS ME, I WILL DEFEAT YOU." He unleashed a gigantic, golden ray onto Konton. Konton fell to his knees, screaming in pain.

"NO!" Konton screamed. He was turning into particles. "YOU… YOU CAN'T!" When Zack was finished, Konton was just a small, skimpy young boy. He didn't look like he was a dark dragon a few moments ago. Konton stared at himself in shock. He hid his face and ran off, pushing through the crowd.

Zack reverted to himself. It felt good to be… his normal, 'human' self. He was swarmed by his friends, who gave him a massive hug.

"You did it!" Twilight Sparkle told him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck.

"Thanks." Zack replied, smiling. "But I couldn't have done it without all of you."

"And that's why I'm so proud of you." a familiar voice spoke. Zack perked up. He knew who that was.

"Mom…?" he asked. It was his mother. The Dragon Queen. She was beautiful, much prettier than Zack remembered. She was wearing a flowing, white dress. Her dark hair was braided. She shimmered like silver. It was almost like she was made out of magic.

"It's been a long time, Zack." she told him. Zack raced over to her and gave her a big hug. Tears were in his eyes. Tears were in her eyes too.

"I missed you, Mom." he told her, his throat clogged up. It had been such a long time.

"I missed you too, my son," his mother told him. "But I must thank you. You're the one that allowed me to enter Equestria once more."

"I should thank you," Zack replied. "I've never met such amazing people. I'm… really lucky." He blushed.

"I'm so glad you made this many friends." his mother replied, smiling.

"But… what about… Hope?" Zack asked, raising his brow.

"Hope would rather stay in her world," his mother answered. "But she misses you tremendously. Perhaps you can visit her sometime, huh?"

"That would be great." Zack said. He grinned. "For now… it's my birthday! We've gotta go and party, right?"

"Yes, Zack," his mother laughed. "And you'll have to introduce me to all your friends."

"Yep," Zack grinned. "Come on! The sky's the limit."


End file.
